


365

by A_to_B_and_C



Series: EXOVERSE [12]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Baekhyun instead is even too righteous, Chanyeol is a cool guy totally unknowing of his responsabilities, M/M, both are crown prince of two different countries, idiot to lovers, royal au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:08:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 41,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24253381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_to_B_and_C/pseuds/A_to_B_and_C
Summary: Prince Byun Baekhyun would do everything for the citizens of his Principality.Everything.Including accepting to marry shameless outrageous Prince Park.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Series: EXOVERSE [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658077
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	365

**Author's Note:**

> Another part of EXOVERSE, this time with a prince AU. Still a bit old and only checked mainly for mistakes and typos.  
> Hope you will be able to enjoy this too!

Baekhyun was sitting at the desk in his studio when a soft knock made him raise his stare from the economics papers he was reading.  
“Yes?” he asked and from the door entered his mother.  
She was wearing a long black velvet dress and she seemed to be just returned from some party or formal encounter.  
“Baekhyun-ha, may I disturb you?” she asked him, but he shook immediately his head, sitting up and going toward her.  
She smiled softly at him and fixed his already perfectly tied necktie.  
“You know that me and you father really love you, right?” she asked and Baekhyun nodded immediately.  
“Yes, mother. You raised me in all these comforts and taught me all to be able to properly succeed you in the future” he replied showing her a shy smile.  
“Right, right. And you also know that we only want the best for you and for this country, right?” she continued and he nodded again.  
“Sure, Byun Principality is made to be peaceful and ruled wisely and at the best of our capability, always thinking about our citizens” he replied newly and she smiled again, caressing softly his cheek.  
“We are so proud of you, Baekhyun-ha” she added and Baekhyun hinted a small bow.  
“I sense that something is troubling you, mother. If there’s something that I can help you with…” he started, stare worried meeting his mother’s.  
Baekhyun’s mother was a beautiful woman, always elegant and polite, kind in the spirit and generous toward others.  
She looked even younger than her real age.  
But in that moment, she was worried and on her forehead a frown deeply showed.  
“We are having some external instabilities and your father thought that maybe it was a good thing asking for an alliance with someone more powerful than us, especially regarding military forces” she started and Baekhyun frowned immediately.  
“Mother, what…” he wanted to interject but she shook her head.  
“It’s just to be sure, Baekhyun-ha. Because who knows what can happen these days and your father is worried” she stated again and Baekhyun sighed shortly, letting her continue.  
“So, he wants you to come with us, tonight, at an encounter with our next ally, Park of Park Dukedom” she added and Baekhyun frowned slightly.  
“Park?” he echoed and she nodded.  
Baekhyun wasn’t much prepared on that family.  
He almost didn’t know anything about them, being interested more in his own country than others.  
“Yes, they are finding some agreements and tonight there will be a gala dinner. He wants you to come along too” she declared and Baekhyun nodded.  
Not that he had other choices.  
Whatever his parents decided for the best of Byun Principality and Baekhyun would do everything for his country.  
He smiled at her softly.  
“Just tell me when we have to leave, I’ll be ready” he concluded and they decided last details before his mother went away.  
Byun Baekhyun was a lucky man.  
Raised in wellness and richness, well trained in both studies and main physical activities, he had in his being an all-round personality capable both in arts and in economics.  
Only son of Byun Family, rulers of Byun Principality, he was the sole heir of a fortune and a country.  
He was polite, well-mannered, capable of adapting of every situation and subject, exactly like a real prince.  
This whole thing of allying with Park Dukedom, though, to Baekhyun’s ears sounded strange.  
They weren’t having problems nor political nor military, so why all that urgency in forging an alliance?  
He sighed softly, fingers gently stroking away a strand locks that fell on his forehead.  
“They are doing it for the best of the Principality” he whispered before closing the books he was reading before his mother entered and going to his bedroom.  
He placed his phone on the nightstand and opened his closet, searching for something suitable for the gala dinner that night.  
Black suit with white shirt was too classy.  
Satin blue maybe it was too ostentatious.  
Ash grey was insignificant.  
He huffed shortly before closing his eyes.  
Maybe it was better to inform about these Parks.  
Who were they?  
What kind of gala waited for him that night?  
He picked up the phone and searched some news online about Park Family.  
They were ruler of Park Dukedom.  
Very wealthy.  
Mr. Park always dressed up with colorful suit so maybe satin blue wasn’t so bad?  
And then scrolling down something caught his eyes.  
It was an article about Parks’ son, Chanyeol, who was found clubbing the previous Friday and entertaining lascivious behavior with a foreign girl.  
Baekhyun sighed and just prayed not to meet with Parks’ son.  
It seemed that the man had his same age but, following the article cold sentences, it wasn’t the first time Chanyeol did something that brought scandals upon his family.  
Baekhyun felt almost ashamed for him.  
He threw his phone on the bed and turned again to the closet, finally deciding for black shirt and blue satin suit.  
After the shower, he styled his hair combing them back in a neat manner and put on some make-up to enlighten his face, especially his eyes, putting a pearl grey eyeshadow and black eyeliner.  
He doubled checked his appearance, satisfied with the result, and put on his clothes, being ready in time for hearing another soft knock on the door.  
“Prince, are you ready? King Byun and his wife are waiting for you in the hall” his personal butler said him and he replied affirmatively.  
He took his small purse and his phone and went downstairs.  
When he reached the hall, his mother was even more beautiful that that evening, and without even planning they choose the same color, even though she was wearing a long sheath dress.  
She smiled widely seeing how Baekhyun was dressed and he smiled softly back.  
“You are beautiful, mother” he stated taking her hand and she giggled.  
“And you look gorgeous with this color. It makes you sparkle” she stated, fixing again his perfectly tied necktie.  
She always did it even when Baekhyun managed perfectly fine alone in obtaining a tidy tie.  
His father went for the classy black instead but didn’t disapproved Baekhyun’s satin blue.  
“Shall we go?” he asked taking his wife’s hand and starting walking toward the exit.  
Outside there was a car waiting for them.  
The trip wasn’t long since Park Dukedom was their exact neighbor and the main city of both Byun Principality and Park Dukedom were specular on the border line.  
No more than three hours and they were there.  
Baekhyun exited the car after his parents and was invested in a wave of flashes.  
He smiled politely, bowing and waiving, walking toward the entrance of the huge mansion in front of them.  
Just past the doors, they were greeted by a tall man with a tuxedo.  
“Byun Family, correct?” he asked them and Baekhyun’s father nodded shortly.  
“Please, if you want to follow me” he replied smiling politely and gently bowing.  
They walked through some corridors, spring air gently stroking their hair.  
Baekhyun didn’t understand from where it entered since it seemed to be closed, but at his left opened a colonnade with a small internal garden.  
He was fascinated and the man with the tuxedo slowed his pace just to let Baekhyun appreciate the view.  
“Your garden is beautiful” Baekhyun commented smiling softly toward the man that nodded.  
“I won’t fail to report your kind words to Mr. Zhang, prince. He will be glad to know it” he replied smiling back and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
They walked in silence and then the man started speaking about his role for Park family.  
“King Park wanted to come and greet you immediately but right now is taken in a meeting that will last for fifteen, twenty minutes so I, Kim Junmyeon, Park’s main butler since generations, will accompany you to where he is” he explained and they nodded shortly.  
When they arrived where they were supposed to meet with Park King, the room was already empty.  
“Oh, heavens, that’s strange. His majesty told me expressly to bring you here” he whispered concerned for King Park absence.  
He extracted a phone from his pocket and composed a number.  
“His majesty? Is there any problem?” he asked when there was a reply on the other end of the line.  
His stare became more concerned and nodded twice before smiling tiringly.  
“Sure, at your orders. I’ll escort them immediately” he replied before bowing and closing the call.  
He was flustered and almost embarrassed when he started speaking again with the Byuns.  
“I’m really sorry for the inconvenience, but his majesty already went to the grand hall to greet other guests too while he was accompanying his previous guests. I deeply apologize for this hitch and will escort you to his place” he explained, bowing deeply, so deeply that he made Baekhyun feel sorry for the man.  
When his father said nothing, Baekhyun smiled softly toward the man.  
“Junmyeon-si, please, there is no problem. I was able to see Mr. Zhang’s beautiful garden. It was worth the walk” he said and Junmyeon almost beamed at him.  
“Your words are too kind, prince. Thank you for your comprehension” he concluded, walking toward another corridor and leading them to the main room of the mansion.  
Baekhyun never saw a ballroom huger than that.  
It was sumptuous, all gold and mirrors and bright lights sparkling everywhere, creating millions of reflections and lights plays.  
He went to other mansions too in his life, being often invited to grand gala or events, but that one was the hugest and most sparkling that he ever saw.  
The satin blue of his suit was sparkling under all those lights and he felt a little bit too showy, but when he spotted King Park that was wearing a golden and red suit, decided that his satin blue was almost plain.  
He greeted them, giving his hand to all three of them, before gesturing to his wife that reached them immediately.  
“Byun, nice to see you again. And this time in grand style and with your family. I’m glad to see that you are well” he started and Baekhyun’s father nodded shortly.  
“I can tell you the same, Park. Your wife is beautiful as always. However, I don’t see your son. He’s not here tonight?” he asked back and Mrs. Park’s stare darkened immediately.  
There was an instant of silence before Baekhyun smiled softly toward his mother.  
“Mother, why you don’t go with Park’s queen to see that beautiful garden from before?” he asked and his mother nodded shortly, proposing it to Mrs. Park that seemed relieved not to be in that situation anymore.  
“Thank you, prince. My wife is quite sensible when we speak about our son” King Park stated and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
Baekhyun’s father frowned shortly.  
“Is there any problem with your son?” he asked briefly making King Park sighing so deeply.  
“He’s… problematic. But let’s not talk about him right now. I’m glad in having you here and I want you to enjoy your evening. Feel free to serve yourselves something from our buffet, more guests are coming later in the night” he concluded and Baekhyun slightly bowed toward him, before wandering around the room.  
He was used to be alone in huge places so he did feel at ease also there.  
Baekhyun greeted some other guests, introducing himself and listening to stories from different countries, showing his polite yet social sides once again.  
He strangely also met Mr. Zhang, master gardener of Park Family, and complimented personally about the gardens.  
The man seemed to be his own age, black hair and fair skin, deep dimples forming at the side of his mouth while smiling.  
They were speaking about gardens and flowers arrangement when a man, that Baekhyun recognized as Chanyeol thanks to that afternoon’s article, walked in going directly to where King Park was speaking with another guest.  
He was under-dressed for a gala, wearing jeans, a sweater and a long copper colored coat that matched with his flaming red hair.  
“Oi, pops” he called his father and Baekhyun thought he could choke on air.  
How rude and disrespectful.  
“Chanyeol, right now is not the appropriate moment” he stopped him but the man was fuming.  
“How dare you? I went to a shop and they said that my credit card has not sufficient credit. What the hell does it even mean insufficient credit?” he hissed almost shouting and King Park took his arm, bringing him to the side of the hall, telling him to lower the voice.  
Baekhyun clicked his tongue clearly unsettled.  
How did he dare speak like that to his own father and King of Park Dukedom?  
Baekhyun tried his best not to intervene in the family quarrel but when Chanyeol started raising his voice again, Baekhyun felt almost obligate to speak up.  
“You are scaring away King’s guests. And you are disrespecting your own father. Would you please stop it?” he asked and Chanyeol’s stare was immediately on him.  
“Do you know who I am?” Chanyeol retorted, expecting him to excuse or whatever else.  
“Sure, and do you know who I am?” he replied, raising his eyebrow, stare inquiring Chanyeol’s face that immediately was on him scanning his figure.  
In that moment, King Park took the occasion to introduce them, changing the subject.  
“Chanyeol, this is Prince Byun, of Byun Principality” he said and Baekhyun bowed shortly.  
“Prince, I think that you are not making a great impression on your father’s guests tonight. Aren’t you interested in protecting the honor and the prestige of your family?” Baekhyun started asking him but Chanyeol laughed bitterly, shaking his head.  
“Honor? Prestige? Do you realize how you are speaking? Are you from a Victorian novel?” he asked back and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“I didn’t expect such an acculturate mention from your part, I’m amazed” he replied ironically, making Chanyeol frown.  
“How dare you?” he spat out, closing the distance between them.  
Chanyeol was taller than Baekhyun, like way taller, but Baekhyun, closed his part of distance too.  
“How dare you! You know how many people worked on this? And not only King and Queen, but all the people that prepared this setting and cooked for your guests. Don’t you know how to be grateful?” he retorted and he can feel irritated at that man presence.  
Baekhyun usually was a patient man, kind and well-mannered.  
However, Chanyeol made him lose all his temper instantly.  
“Baekhyun-ha!” his mother called him from the end of the hall and Baekhyun’s stare moved immediately to where she was.  
He shortly bowed toward her direction and she walked toward him.  
“What’s happening here?” she asked him and Baekhyun forced a smile.  
“Nothing, mother. I’m sorry for making…” he started saying but she slapped him, making the slap resound in all the hall.  
“How many times do I have to tell you?” she asked again and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I’m sorry, it’s just…” he tried but he knew that with his mother there wasn’t any excuses.  
She slapped him again, on the other cheek.  
“No excuse. Now apologize to Prince Park. I don’t remember raising you like this” she ordered him and Baekhyun nodded again, turning toward Chanyeol.  
“I apologize for my rude words and inappropriate behavior” he stated flatly, bowing deeply toward him.  
His cheeks stung a lot and he was sure that they were swelling.  
Chanyeol was about to reply, when King Park pressed on his shoulder making him bow shortly.  
“We are sorry too for having shown such an unfortunate discussion” he said briefly but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“You don’t have to apologize. I shouldn’t have behaved like that” he concluded bowing again and walking away to the first available restroom.  
He stared at his reflection on the mirror and pressed his hands on his cheeks.  
It hurt.  
It was a while since the last slap from his mother.  
Maybe two years?  
He put his hands under the cool water a bit before pressing them again on his cheeks, cooling them down.  
Was it so bad what he did?  
Chanyeol was being so rude with his father that Baekhyun couldn’t even imagine himself behaving like that with his own father.  
He sighed deeply trying his best to calm down.  
Chanyeol would have gone away probably and, indeed, when he came back again to the hall, he wasn’t there.  
He apologized again with King Park and his own mother about his behavior and then went back to his being alone in the hall, speaking around with everyone and no one.  
At a certain point in the evening, his father approached him, asking to follow him.  
Baekhyun nodded, stare perplexed but obeying his order.  
They went to a small room who seemed indeed out of a Victorian novel.  
All painted and rococo designed.  
In there, there were King and Queen Park, Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s mother.  
They all sat around a big ebony table.  
“So, as I was previously said, the main reason why we invited Byun Family here tonight is to finally complete and sign our alliance” King Park started saying and Chanyeol huffed, receiving a glare from his mother and from Baekhyun.  
“Apart of all those economics things that we won’t list you because you would be bored…” King Park continued and Baekhyun frowned because he was more than interested in those economics things.  
However, he didn’t interrupt, feeling already his mother’s glare on him and still feeling the sting on his cheeks.  
“We decided to sign also a marriage contract” King Park concluded and Baekhyun arched his eyebrow, perplexity clearly showing on his face.  
“Marriage?” he echoed, stare wandering from King Park, his parents and Chanyeol’s faces.  
“Exactly. In two days it will be official, so we would like to let you know before” he added and Chanyeol sat up immediately, clearly offended.  
“What the fuck, pop? With him?” he asked and King Park nodded, making Baekhyun’s eyes widen in surprise and going immediately to his mother.  
Clearly it was her idea.  
His father would never propose something like that.  
But a marriage?  
With Park Chanyeol of all the people?  
Impossible.  
He wanted to complain but his mother leant in, whispering in his ear.  
“What did I tell you today? It’s for the sake of Byun Principality, Baekhyun-ha” she muttered and Baekhyun inhaled sharply.  
Whatever.  
He would do whatever it would take for his country and his citizens.  
Even marrying someone as Chanyeol?  
He nodded shortly.  
“Is there any… clause? Any condition?” he asked toward King Park, ignoring Chanyeol’s incredulous face.  
King Park smiled at him.  
“I’m glad that at least one of you is a reasonable person. There’s only a condition from my part. I will give you one year, three hundred and sixty-five days. If you will manage this marriage and show me that I can entrust you with my country, I will consider leaving everything to you. Otherwise I will distribute all our belongings between Chanyeol’s sister and Junmyeon’s family since they were loyal to us for all these years” he stated and Chanyeol was already protesting when Baekhyun’s father sat up and stated his own condition.  
“Baekhyun, I also have a single condition. If you don’t manage this, I won’t be able to entrust our Principality to anyone, so it will perish, absorbed by other countries” he stated and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in disbelief.  
“Father, what…?” he started, almost sitting up, words dying on his lips, but his father shook his head.  
“This is my condition. You don’t have to be fine with it. You have to do what is the best for our, your, people” he stopped him immediately and Baekhyun sat again, shutting up.  
For his people.  
Whatever it will take.  
Baekhyun sat up once again, stare moving toward Chanyeol.  
“I’ll be in your care” he stated, bowing deeply.  
There was a moment of silence and then Chanyeol exploded.  
“What the actual fuck? Why do I have to stand this… this…” he started and he wasn’t even finding the right words when his mother stopped him.  
“Do you want to be able to spend again money? Then behave and marry prince Byun” she stated and Chanyeol shook his head, incredulous.  
There was another silence and then Chanyeol sat back again.  
“When does this farce start? And how will it be? I mean, we live in different states” Chanyeol asked and Baekhyun nodded shortly, for the first time in the evening agreeing with Chanyeol.  
“Press conference for your wedding will be in three days. Prince Byun you will move here in Park Dukedom, we already settled an apartment for you and Chanyeol. Marriage will be in a month” King Park stated and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
“A month is… early? Is there any…” he started but he shook his head.  
“A month is sufficient. My wife and your mother already started with all the preparations” he stated and Baekhyun wondered from how much time they did know before telling him and Chanyeol about this.  
He sighed softly, refraining his instinct to card his fingers in his hair messing them up.  
He hated that situation, but for Byun Principality and its citizens he would do whatever thing.  
Chanyeol was still shaking his head, but he kind of got the situation too.  
Baekhyun sat up, smiling forcedly toward all the people in the room.  
Everything would be fine, somehow.  
Baekhyun never actually thought about love or marriage because he wasn’t interested.  
He vaguely realized that he was physically attracted more to men than to women but it didn’t have much sense for him because he never had a loved person.  
Never went to a date.  
Never kissed someone.  
And probably that would last also for the following years since he was forced on that marriage with Chanyeol.  
And they weren’t compatible at all.  
He wouldn’t even want Chanyeol to show him any kind of attention and neither the contrary.  
They would just live together, smiling happily when needed and forcing their happiness on everyone who saw them.  
Baekhyun could do it.  
He didn’t have any other chance if not doing it.

  
The press conference arrived even before he could realize it.  
He wore more classy than last time, black suit and white shirt.  
Chanyeol wore a black suit too, even if it seemed like someone forced it on him at the last minute and Baekhyun clearly saw him pulling away his necktie at the last moment, hiding it in his pocket.  
Mainly King Park and King Byun spoke during the conference but some questions were asked also to Baekhyun and Chanyeol.  
As per previous agreements, only Baekhyun replied, being the politest between them and avoiding that the press conference resulted a mess.  
They were walking outside when Chanyeol pulled out a pair of sunglasses from the internal pocket of his jacket and waved shortly to a blond man sitting on a red Porsche, waiting for him outside.  
“See ya” he simply said going away and leaving Baekhyun with both Kings.  
He had to hide his frustration, simply waiting for his father deciding when they would go home.  
And when he went home, packing started.  
His mother wouldn’t let him breath even for a second.  
Most recurring question was “Did you take…?” followed from whatever she thought Baekhyun would need in the new apartment.  
The things that mostly worried him were his books and his clothes.  
There rest he decided that could wait or could be re-bought in case of emergency.  
The only thing that he especially asked for and he was irremovable with, was his small wall piano.  
It was old and had to be handled with great care, but Baekhyun couldn’t stay without.  
After that, nothing else mattered.  
Moving was a pain in all the senses because the apartment was at a higher floor of a skyscraper and around there was only city and cars and other houses and Baekhyun’s only thought was: where’s my green?  
Byun Principality was known for being green and plenty of gardens and parks.  
Park Dukedom was industrialized, more progressed technologically but lacked of green and Baekhyun already felt like suffocating.  
He was glad to find out that at least in the apartment there was more than one bedroom, not forcing them to decide which of them would sleep on the couch, even if supposedly one would be guests’ room.  
It started like that the first month of cohabitation with Chanyeol.

  
Baekhyun considered himself a lucky man.  
Because his mother was really strict, but stressed him out with being able to do everything by himself.  
“Today you have a butler who does things for you but what if tomorrow you won’t have anymore?” she always asked him and Baekhyun managed to learn everything useful for his survival.  
Chanyeol, on the other hand, didn’t do anything.  
Like… anything.  
He was sleeping until late and when he would wake up, he went out with his friends coming back so late that Baekhyun never heard him coming home.  
Apart of this, he wasn’t able to use the washing machine, let alone the drying machine.  
He didn’t fill the fridge, just emptied it.  
No ironing shirts.  
No cleaning or vacuum around the house.  
No washing dishes.  
Not that Baekhyun could complaint.  
Maybe it was better like that, since he had more liberty in doing things as he wanted instead of fighting with him for how to do things.  
Baekhyun mostly stayed at home, checking with the Principality ministers how things were going back home and how to proceed in certain situations.  
At all the effects, his father left a lot of things to him already, even though the King was still him and not Baekhyun.  
Baekhyun was more than fine with it since he managed quite well and had all the time to do the things he wanted.  
Especially because he had all that apartment empty all for him to use.  
It was almost three weeks since that whole thing started when Chanyeol came home earlier, around five pm, with the same blonde man that drove the Porsche that time and another slender man.  
Baekhyun was playing at the piano when the sound of the door opening, distracted him, revealing these three figures.  
Baekhyun shortly bowed toward the strangers and resumed playing when Chanyeol neared him.  
“I need you out” he simply stated and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider.  
“Come again?” he asked back, convinced that he misheard Chanyeol’s words.  
“I want you to go out of the home in ten minutes” Chanyeol repeated and Baekhyun frowned.  
“And where should I go? I don’t know…” he started saying but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“It’s not like I care. Go away” he interrupted him and Baekhyun sighed shortly.  
“At your order, your majesty” he said ironically, sitting up and going to his room to change in something fitter for walking around the city.  
Fitter in Baekhyun’s idea, not that he really knew what people wore in that city since he almost never exited.  
He wore his black trousers, with a white shirt and a beige trench over it, taking also his dark brown fedora.  
He took his keys, wallet and phone and exited, once again slightly bowing toward Chanyeol’s guests.  
Baekhyun was in the elevator getting to the ground floor and looking on the internet to something interesting to do in that city, when the elevator stopped at the tenth floor, doors opening and a guy with his headphones on entered, staring at him perplexed.  
The door closed back again and Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel the guy stare on his face.  
At a certain point he wanted to ask him something but the guy preceded him.  
“Are you new here?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
The guy smiled, moving his hand toward Baekhyun.  
“I’m Jondae, I live on the tenth floor” he greeted.  
“Baekhyun. Fortieth floor” he replied, shaking his hand and trying to look as normal as he could.  
Because he knew that, even in Byun Principality, citizens were raised differently from himself.  
Jondae smiled at him shortly.  
“Need a tour in the city? Today I’m meeting a friend and we were planning going around a bit” he stated and Baekhyun hummed in thought.  
Was it a good idea accepting that offer from a stranger?  
Press conference was only for journalist and other nations and countries around them so common people shouldn’t know about him being the future husband of their future King.  
Not yet, since marriage was almost around the corner.  
It was, then, a now or never situation.  
“Would it be bothersome to you?” he asked shortly and Jondae shook his head, smiling widely.  
“At all! We will show you around!” he replied all hyped at the idea.  
Jondae was wearing something totally different from Baekhyun.  
He wore jeans, a pale blue t-shirt with a blue checked shirt on it and a black snapback.  
Like sun and moon.  
Baekhyun still decided to follow him and his friend Minseok, a short guy that was older than him and as hyped as Jondae to tour him around the city.  
More their day together progressed and more Jondae and Minseok were perplexed about Baekhyun’s total lack of knowledge about what their considered normal.  
Like coffee at automatic machine.  
Or window-shopping.  
Sitting in a café to order fancy things just for the sake of trying new flavors.  
Entering in a shop just to wander around the aisles looking for something to buy or only to see if there were things on sales.  
Book stores?  
Coin laundry?  
Street food?  
Everything was new to Baekhyun that was as wondered as a kid in a theme park for his first time.  
They were walking on the street when Minseok spotted a selca photo boot.  
“Let’s take a selca together! To this strange day together!” he stated and Jondae nodded, almost pushing Baekhyun inside the small booth.  
Jondae’s and Minseok’s fingers were able around the screen setting all the preferences.  
“Three, two, one!” Jondae exclaimed and Baekhyun posed with them for some pictures.  
When they finished, Jondae and Minseok showed how to write on the photo deciding to put some stamps on.  
The photos exited few instants after and Jondae divided them between they three.  
“Ah, I enjoyed today so much! Baekhyun, you never went to a city this big?” Minseok asked him and Baekhyun hummed in thought before shaking his head.  
“It’s my first time outside here, yes…” he started saying but in that moment his phone rang, showing on the screen an unknown number.  
He took the call, wary.  
“Hello?” he asked and on the other end of the line Chanyeol’s voice was heard.  
“Where the hell in the world are you?” he spat out immediately and Baekhyun hummed raising his stare toward the first signal and reading it out loud.  
Chanyeol sighed deeply.  
“What the? How the fuck did you get there alone? With no guards?” he asked him and Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“Why would I need a guard to walk around the city?” he asked back seeing Jondae and Minseok’s puzzled stares on him.  
“Because it’s dangerous, you fucking idiot. It’s not your rural country when there’s nothing if not forest and sheep!” he exclaimed and Baekhyun frowned.  
“I don’t think it concerned you so much, Park. I will go home as soon as I finish here” he concluded, hanging up the call and sighing deeply.  
He briefly closed his eyes.  
“I apologize for the inconvenience” he whispered but Jondae’s stare was on him.  
“You are not a common person right?” he asked him flatly and Baekhyun pressed his lips in a thin line before shaking his head.  
“Does it make any difference? Sorry if I didn’t know a lot of things about your city… Was I a burden for you today?” he asked them softly.  
Jondae and Minseok stared at each other before shaking their heads in the same moment.  
Baekhyun smiled softly, pulling out one of his best spontaneous smile, the first in he didn’t know how many years.  
“Then, it’s fine like this. What difference does it make if I’m a crown prince or not” he whispered and Jondae’s eyes went wider in surprise.  
“Wait, what?” he asked him and Baekhyun bit his lips shortly.  
Did he let it out too early?  
It didn’t make any difference, he already told them.  
“I’m… Byun Baekhyun, crown prince of Byun Principality” he replied honestly and Jondae’s stare went from him to Minseok and then again to Baekhyun’s face, before he could start giggle.  
“Oh, heavens, I knew that today was my lucky day! Ah, so glad I met you, Baekhyun!” he stated and Baekhyun smiled softly even if Minseok slapped Jondae on his shoulder.  
Baekhyun stared at them perplexed.  
“Or should we call you…?” Jondae started but Baekhyun shook his head immediately.  
“Baekhyun is fine” he stated smiling softly, leaning his head on the side.  
Both Jondae and Minseok looked at him perplexed.  
“Oh boy, you really are like prince charming” Minseok commented making him blush softly.  
“I… don’t think so” he added and Jondae patted on his shoulder shortly.  
“Come on, let’s go home before they send some guards to look for you” he concluded and Baekhyun nodded.  
They saw off Minseok at the station and then went back to their building.  
While they were in the lift, Baekhyun smiled softly again.  
“I really enjoyed today. You have my gratitude” he stated and Jondae huffed a laugh.  
“I should have sensed that something was off already from your way of speaking, crown prince” he commented and Baekhyun blushed again, realizing that there was indeed something strange in his way of speaking.  
Observing Jondae and Minseok’s interactions and way of speaking that day, he realized how different were their worlds.  
“Thank you is sufficient, Baekhyun” he added and Baekhyun smiled at him.  
“Thank you, Jondae. It was a beautiful day” he retried and Jondae smiled back at him, elevator pinging for his floor.  
“Give me your number. We can do it also another day, if you are fine and not too busy” he stated and Baekhyun fiddled with his phone, inputting Jondae’s number in it.  
“See you around” he concluded, smiling again and exiting the elevator.  
Baekhyun’s lips stretched again in a smile so wide that he almost hurt his cheeks and left only when he re-entered the house.  
Chanyeol was sitting on the couch, turning his phone on his fingers and foot tapping on the floor.  
When Baekhyun entered he sat up immediately.  
“Where the fuck did you go to?” he inquired even before letting him close the door.  
“Out? You asked me to” he replied honestly, unbuttoning his trench, walking toward his room.  
“Out where? Should I remember that you are a crown prince?” he asked again and Baekhyun turned toward him perplexed before letting out a sarcastic laugh.  
“Do I ask you every day if you remember being one too?” he retorted and Chanyeol fumed.  
“It’s different. This is my city I know where to go and where I shouldn’t and…” he started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I didn’t go alone. People who live here toured me around a bit. And I’m more than capable…” he started explaining but Chanyeol put a hand in front of him.  
“You did what? You went with strangers around the city?” he asked and Baekhyun nodded.  
“How naïve are you, Byun?!” he asked him and Baekhyun shook his head, uncapable to understand Chanyeol’s point in all the discourse.  
“Better than alone?” he countered and Chanyeol sighed, fingers carding through his hair, pulling slightly.  
“You could have asked. I know this city like my pockets” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun’s eyes grew larger.  
“Sure, because you would escort me around if I would have asked you?” he spat out and Chanyeol shut up immediately.  
Baekhyun pressed his lips in a thin line.  
“You have your reply. So, don’t stress me with this thing. I went because I wanted to and because you forced me out of here” he concluded walking in his room and closing the door behind himself.  
He liked going around with Jondae and Minseok.  
But he knew that that would be a single happening.  
In less than two weeks he would be married to Chanyeol.  
The marriage seemed to be so lavish in their mothers’ mind that everyone would know and speak about it.  
Exiting outside freely would soon became a dream for Baekhyun.  
He sighed again, putting the trench in his closet and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.  
Baekhyun wanted to be angrier with Chanyeol.  
Wanted to demonstrate that he wasn’t an unprepared, country prince that do risky things, without having any sense of danger.  
He knew how to judge people.  
And he went with Jondae exactly because he felt like a good person.  
However, he knew that if Chanyeol would remain home, he would eat something and Baekhyun didn’t prepared anything that day, so focused on adjusting an old song to a different tempo and to his vocal tone.  
Baekhyun sighed again, opening the door of his room and walking toward the kitchen.  
Chanyeol was still sitting on the couch in the living room and almost didn’t raised his stare from his phone when Baekhyun walked past him.  
He opened the fridge, suddenly perplexed to its emptiness.  
Baekhyun closed it back, also closing his eyes trying to calm down and be a reasonable person like he claimed he was.  
“Did you… already sent next shopping list to Mr. Do?” he asked to Chanyeol that completely ignored him.  
Do Kyungsoo was one of Park’s loyal men.  
Kyungsoo was one of Parks’ servant that Baekhyun liked the most.  
It was easy to speak with him and he always tried his best to put Baekhyun at ease, helping him having a more normal life in Park Dukedom and trying not to be his not so forcefully polite self.  
He was also in charge of a lot of things, including providing them what they needed for the fridge or the pantry.  
If one of them sent him what they needed for.  
Baekhyun sighed again taking his phone from his back pocket.  
He selected Kyungsoo’s number and then called.  
He patiently waited until it was connected.  
“Mr. Do? It’s Byun, sorry for disturbing you…” he started and Kyungsoo greeted him back.  
“No disturb, prince. Please, did you need something?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded before explaining a bit the situation.  
“I know that it’s already late and I apologize for not calling you in advance, but I would like to ask you if it is possible to make you and order right now” he said softly, opening again the fridge and starting to write down what they could need.  
“Beside what prince Park already asked me?” Kyungsoo retorted and Baekhyun frowned, repressing a deep sigh.  
Why in the world was he destined to have something to do with Chanyeol?  
“What did he ask for?” he enquired, sure that he didn’t ask for anything useful.  
“Not much. Mainly beer and frozen food. I was going right now to buy some things” he replied and Baekhyun had the confirmation that he couldn’t trust Chanyeol even with a simple task as making a shopping list.  
“Can… Can I add some things? Sorry for taking your time and making you work more, Mr. Do” he requested and Kyungsoo hummed in consent.  
“You don’t have to ask. Please treat me like your own butler” Kyungsoo added and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“I’m already doing it, Mr. Do. I don’t have the habitude of ordering my men around. I ask them things” he replied making Kyungsoo chuckle.  
“It would be so great if also prince Park would be as polite and kind as you are” he commented, making Baekhyun blush softly.  
“Don’t. We are different people and I think it’s an expected thing, since our education was different since our childhood” Baekhyun retorted making Kyungsoo sigh once again.  
“You are way too mature for your age, prince” he huffed and Baekhyun let out a small laugh.  
“My mother wouldn’t agree. She always said that I’m a spoiled prince, unaware of the outside world, and she’s right. Because I don’t know much about this city and neither of Park Dukedom. I’m ignorant in this matter” he admitted making Kyungsoo huff a laugh.  
“You are too modest” he commented immediately adding: “I’m almost there. Would you mind send me the list?” he asked and Baekhyun hummed shortly, finishing to write the last things.  
“Yes, I am always in your care, Mr. Do” he replied immediately, fidgeting with his phone putting on his earpieces and starting to type a message with all the required items.  
“Please, as I already told you Kyungsoo is fine” he insisted and Baekhyun sighed.  
“You have my gratitude, Kyungsoo-si” he concluded making Kyungsoo stifle another laugh.  
“At least it’s first name” he murmured and humming while reading out loud the list that Baekhyun just sent him.  
“Is it everything?” he asked him and Baekhyun replied affirmatively.  
“Perfect, then. See you in a few” he concluded and Baekhyun thanked him again, closing the call.  
There was a small silence during which Baekhyun checked his SNS but then Chanyeol entered the kitchen, distracting Baekhyun clearing his throat.  
“Our parents are organizing a meeting pre-marriage. Tomorrow evening we have to go there” he stated and Baekhyun nodded.  
“Dress code?” he asked and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Whatever you want?” Chanyeol retorted, earning a sigh from Baekhyun.  
How could one be so dense and disinterested?  
There was another silence during while Baekhyun wrote down a note about calling his mother and asking her about the following day’s meeting.  
“Why do you even care about this?” Chanyeol suddenly asked him and Baekhyun raised his stare from his phone screen, looking at him perplexed.  
He slowly brought his fingers to his lips, biting them softly as he did when he was nervous.  
“What do you mean?” he asked back, tone uncertain.  
Chanyeol shook his head, fingers carding through his hair.  
“This fucking thing. Our marriage. Appearing as perfect prince charming whatever you do” he replied and Baekhyun hummed shortly, again biting his fingers.  
“I was raised like this. My purpose in this life is being, as you say, perfect prince charming. For the people of my Principality” he replied, pocketing again his phone.  
Chanyeol wasn’t happy with that reply.  
“But, is it what you want?” he asked him and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in astonishment.  
He couldn’t quite understand what Chanyeol was asking him.  
It didn’t make any sense at all.  
At least not for him.  
“We are public personality, Park. My will doesn’t matter, my citizens come before everything else. You heard my father too, right? If I don’t succeed in this, he will be forced to give our Principality to other countries. How can I allow it? What would it be of our citizens?” he retorted, honestly sipping through his words but leaving Chanyeol even more perplexed than before.  
“You are joking, right?” he asked him and Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“Why?” he asked back, biting again on his fingers.  
Chanyeol groaned in frustration, clearly not content of the reply.  
“Because, come on, what kind of life is?” he retorted shaking his head and completely refusing the whole idea.  
Baekhyun sighed deeply, closing his eyes for an instant.  
It seemed like that whichever explanation he could do to Chanyeol, he wouldn’t understand his reasoning.  
“My life. Since I was born. Since I have memory. My family educated me only for this reason. They want me to become a suitable king and this I will become” he replied finally, reopening his eyes and smiling softly toward Chanyeol.  
Chanyeol stared back before sighing.  
“Choose a place” he declared without giving him any other context and Baekhyun frowned.  
“A place?” he echoed perplexed and Chanyeol nodded.  
“Mom said that we have to choose a place for our honeymoon. Choose a place” he stated again and Baekhyun shook immediately his head at the idea.  
“I’m fine with whatever place you prefer, Park. No need to…” he started but Chanyeol shook his head, stopping him abruptly.  
“Choose. And stop calling me Park. Chanyeol is fine too” he retorted, before checking his phone that was ringing.  
“Chanyeol-si, is not like I…” Baekhyun tried again but Chanyeol sighed in exasperation.  
“Choose. A. Place” he ordered him before turning on his heels, taking the call and leaving Baekhyun alone.  
He sighed deeply, leaning on the counter of the kitchen.  
Why Chanyeol asked him to choose?  
And what was better to choose?  
In that moment, from the front door entered Kyungsoo, hands full of paper bags and shopping bags.  
“Ah, Kyungsoo-si, you could have told me that you were here. I would…” Baekhyun started lifting some bags from his arms.  
“Please stop it. I can seem short and small but I can manage at least this” he interrupted him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I could never…” he tried again but Kyungsoo shook his head.  
“Let me help you here” Kyungsoo sighed leaning the bags on the table and starting to divide the contents.  
They arranged things in silence and then Baekhyun shortly bit his lips, deciding to ask Kyungsoo about what location Chanyeol liked most.  
“Kyungsoo-si, may I ask you something?” he started and Kyungsoo nodded interested, stare going immediately to Baekhyun’s face.  
“If Chanyeol-si would have to choose a place where to go and have vacation, where would he go?” he asked directly and Kyungsoo frowned shortly, stare enquiring Baekhyun’s face.  
“Sea. Prince Park really like sea. Tropical sea is even better. You know, white beaches, crystalline blue sea… That kind of places” Kyungsoo replied honestly and Baekhyun hummed in thought, wondering which place was better to go, considering Kyungsoo’s suggestion.  
He rarely left Byun Principality and most of the time it was to go and meet important person of other countries so he wouldn’t have time to visit around.  
“Like… Hawaii?” he asked briefly and Kyungsoo nodded shortly.  
“Yeah, he always wanted to go there but I know that King Park never let him go” he replied and Baekhyun hummed in thought.  
He was about to thank again Kyungsoo with his usual you have my gratitude sentence, when he thought again of Jondae’s perplexed stare that afternoon.  
“Thank you, you really helped me” he decided to say and Kyungsoo’s stare was again perplexed before nodding shortly.  
“It’s a pleasure, prince” he replied and Baekhyun bit his lips shortly again.  
“Was it too unformal? Unpolite?” he immediately asked him and Kyungsoo let out a bright laugh, shaking his head.  
“It was perfect. Are you trying to be less formal, right?” he retorted and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I am still not at the height of this task, I suppose. I am not confident at all with my language skills” Baekhyun explained softly and Kyungsoo smiled back at him.  
“You should mix up better with prince Park. You could take a bit of his rudeness and he could learn from you a bit of education and politeness” he commented and Baekhyun hummed in thought.  
“I think that me and Chanyeol-si live two lives too different. Our education was too different. We will never match, even though we will do our best to appear like the happiest and most beautiful royal couple in the world” he stated and Kyungsoo hummed again, thinking.  
“You know, I think…” he started saying but, in that moment, Chanyeol entered in the kitchen, greeting Kyungsoo.  
“Soo, you are late” he stated and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“He was because I entrusted him some more errands. It’s my fault” he stated, moving toward the fridge.  
He stopped there, stare moving toward Chanyeol.  
“Are you eating home tonight?” he asked him but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Okay” Baekhyun simply replied, opening the fridge and pulling out some onions, carrots and potatoes.  
He felt both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo’s stare on his back.  
Baekhyun took out also some pork meat.  
He set the rice cooker and then a pan to boil carrots and potatoes.  
There were some moments of silence and then Baekhyun turned toward them.  
“Is there anything wrong?” he asked softly and Kyungsoo shook his head, taking off his jacket and pulling his sleeves up.  
“Let me help you” he replied but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I can do…” he started but Kyungsoo smiled.  
“I usually cook at Park mansion too sometimes. Let me help you” he repeated and Baekhyun smiled shortly.  
“Thank you, Kyungsoo-si” he commented and Kyungsoo neared the stove, starting to explain him small secrets about cooking.  
Baekhyun could manage alone, but he was at basic level and Kyungsoo’s tips were golden to him.  
They started working on it and a certain point Kyungsoo turned toward Chanyeol, seeing him in the same place as five minutes earlier.  
“Weren’t you going out, prince?” he asked him and Chanyeol nodded shortly and Kyungsoo smiled strangely toward Chanyeol before moving back to Baekhyun.  
“Ah, Baekhyun-si, not like this. Gently, gently” he stated, hands moving on Baekhyun’s hands and helping him, showing the right movement.  
Baekhyun smiled widely at the utilize of the first name, since it was since first day that he asked Kyungsoo not to call him prince, nodding and staring at the work Kyungsoo was doing.  
There was again a small silence and then Chanyeol sat at the table.  
“Count me in for dinner tonight. I won’t exit anymore” he stated and Kyungsoo snorted before nodding shortly.  
Baekhyun frowned softly before nodding too.  
He cooked with Kyungsoo’s supervision and they made a delicious pork curry rice.  
“I have to say that the result looks really pleasant and the fragrance is so strong and so…” Baekhyun started saying while setting the table, inviting also Kyungsoo to eat with them.  
Kyungsoo laughed softly.  
“And less formally what would you say?” he asked him and Baekhyun hummed in thoughts, gears running in his head.  
“I really love this fragrance?” he tried and Kyungsoo hummed, stare moving toward Chanyeol.  
“What would you say, prince?” he asked and Chanyeol frowned shortly.  
“That it smells so good that I can’t wait to eat it?” he replied and Kyungsoo’s stare was once again on Baekhyun, who hummed in thought, trying to remember Chanyeol’s tone.  
“Isn’t it strange?” Baekhyun asked Kyungsoo who shook his head.  
“Prince Park, Baekhyun-si is trying is best to be less formal than usual. You could help him out?” he proposed and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“It’s an idiocy. He has to behave like this because his family taught him so. No need to waste his energy on pointless things like this” he commented, speaking like Baekhyun wasn’t there.  
Kyungsoo wanted to retort, but Baekhyun smiled at him, shaking his head.  
“Chanyeol-si is right. I’m forged by my family indoctrination. Nothing will change after all” he whispered, starting to eat and only listen to Kyungsoo’s explanation about what happened in Park Dukedom that day.  
When they finished, Baekhyun sat up, picking up all the dishes and starting to wash them.  
“I can do that, Baekhyun-si” Kyungsoo started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Please, no need to worry. I can manage simple tasks like this” he explained and after finishing he shortly bowed toward Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.  
“I will retire in my room. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me” he concluded, bowing again and going to his room.  
Once inside, he closed the door and sighed deeply.  
Chanyeol was right.  
What was even the point in trying so hard for something so pointless?  
Baekhyun would always be Byun’s son, raised like that and without any trace of informality or impoliteness.  
He sat on his bed, sighing again, before taking his phone and calling his mother about next day’s meeting.

  
Tomorrow meeting was relatively early and was for a brunch more than an actual lunch, or so his mother said.  
So casual but still formal style would be fine.  
Something that Baekhyun couldn’t quite comprehend and always managed to get wrong.  
He was used to suits and formal attire.  
Shirts and trousers.  
What in the world was casual?  
That morning he opened the closet, thinking about what was better to wear.  
The beige trench was a must, fitting with his dark hair and with almost everything that he could wear underneath it.  
And maybe a pearl grey shirt?  
With black jeans?  
Would it be fine or his mother would have scolded him once again for not wearing something appropriate?  
Obviously without necktie, otherwise he could already hear her complaining about that.  
When he exited his room, Chanyeol was already sitting on the couch waiting for him.  
He was wearing a black shirt with dark jeans and a long dark grey coat on it.  
“Good morning” Baekhyun greeted him and Chanyeol shortly nodded toward his direction, sitting up and exiting together with Baekhyun the house.  
They sat in silence in the car that brought them to a luxury café not so far from there, where they had to meet with their parents.  
When they exited the car, a waiter accompanied them inside where their parents were already sitting and chatting between them.  
“Baekhyun-ha, it’s been a while” his mother said him, sitting up to greet him.  
“Indeed it was, mother. I’m glad to find you fine and healthy” he replied, slowly bowing toward her and his own father, who greeted him with a small gesture of his head.  
“We already ordered for you too, while we were waiting. Is that fine?” Chanyeol’s mother stated and even before Chanyeol could said anything, Baekhyun nodded.  
“Absolutely. I am sure that both know us better than anyone else” he replied, hinting another small bow and Chanyeol’s mother smiled, pleased with the reply.  
Baekhyun couldn’t be more wrong, though.  
They ordered things he never even heard about and, even after he tried them, he decided that weren’t for him.  
Chanyeol seemed to be at his own ease, so Baekhyun didn’t say anything nor made gesture to order something different.  
“Well…” Baekhyun’s mother started, exchanging a knowing stare with Chanyeol’s mother.  
“How’s thing going with Chanyeol-ha?” she asked and Baekhyun forced his most beautiful and polite smile.  
“Perfectly. I wonder why I was so naïve at the start” he replied, smiling also toward Chanyeol who frowned shortly before nodding, continue to eat.  
“I should suppose then that you decided where to go for you honeymoon” she continued and Baekhyun nodded, leaning his head on the side.  
“Obviously. How couldn’t we be in agreement on where to go? It would be so great going to Hawaii” he stated, smiling all the way through the sentence.  
Feigning interest and pleasure became so natural to him during those years that that was his second nature.  
He didn’t need to speak up his own ideas.  
Only what other people wanted him to tell.  
Chanyeol liked Hawaii?  
And Hawaii it would be.  
Baekhyun did know where Hawaii were.  
But he never went there and he wasn’t fan of sunny places.  
However, Chanyeol liked them so they would go there.  
King Park nodded shortly, pleased by the reply, but Chanyeol seemed to be perplexed at the mention.  
He frowned even deeply than before but didn’t add anything.  
His mother noticed his reaction though.  
“Is something wrong, Chanyeol?” she asked him, who shook his head.  
“No, Hawaii is just what we decided” he replied immediately and Baekhyun smiled again toward him.  
Chanyeol didn’t smiled back, shifting his stare on his plate.  
After that small corner, they spoke about the marriage.  
How would it be composed, how many parts, what they had to do and all the other boring things that Chanyeol clearly only half-listened while Baekhyun took notes and asked for more details.  
When suddenly they mentioned waltz, Baekhyun frowned shortly, shifting his stare toward Chanyeol.  
“Do you know how to dance waltz?” he asked him and Chanyeol shook his head shortly, making almost everyone gasp in surprise.  
“How is even possible? We send you to that instructor few years ago!” his mother commented, almost scandalized and Chanyeol laughed out loud.  
“It’s better if you don’t ask me what he taught me, because it’s not waltz and you could be traumatized” he replied, wide smirking playing on his lips.  
His mother almost fainted but Baekhyun shook his head clearly in distress.  
“It’s just one dance, right? So he would only need the very bases” Baekhyun noted and his mother nodded shortly.  
“You could teach him, Baekhyun-ha” she suggested and Baekhyun hummed in thought.  
“Sure. Without any ulterior motive” he replied and Chanyeol’s eyes widened in surprise.  
“You can also dance waltz?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“The bases, yes” he replied but his mother was already giggling.  
“Don’t be so modest, Baekhyun-ha, you also won several contests for your abilities. Like also for piano and singing” she stated and Baekhyun nodded shortly, even if he didn’t like when his mother bragged so openly about his abilities.  
The Parks were all surprised.  
“We didn’t know you were so good also in these things, Baekhyun-ha” Chanyeol’s mother started and his mother started to list all the things Baekhyun could or could not do.  
They stayed there almost two hours more and then both Baekhyun and Chanyeol were dismissed.  
Baekhyun walked outside feeling so grateful not to be in that space with his mother again and just wanted to go home, when Chanyeol suddenly took his wrist and pulled him.  
“Come with me” he simply said and Baekhyun was perplexed but followed him without any questions.  
Not that Chanyeol would reply even if he had some.  
Chanyeol continued to pull his wrist for five minutes, walking in apparently random directions until they arrived in front of a small café, all wooden with light green elements.  
He pulled him inside and sat on a stool near the counter.  
Behind it there was the same blonde man that Baekhyun saw at their home few days before.  
“Sehun, for me the same and bring a menu for him” he stated and the blonde man nodded, bringing Baekhyun a small leathered menu.  
Baekhyun sat near Chanyeol, opening the small book and staring at the items listed inside.  
“Choose whatever you want” Chanyeol stated and Baekhyun wanted to retort, but Chanyeol just repeated the same sentence again.  
Baekhyun hummed shortly, scanning the list, trying to contain his hunger.  
He almost didn’t touch anything at the previous place, so his stomach was almost growling.  
He was about to order, when Chanyeol stopped him, staring at him intensely.  
“At least two things from that menu” he added and Baekhyun’s stare met his, perplexed.  
“Why?” he asked shortly and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“You didn’t eat anything and you didn’t have breakfast this morning. You need to eat” he stated and Baekhyun was astonished, surprised by the sudden kindness.  
“How did you…?” he started asking again but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Enough questions. Order something” he declared and Baekhyun nodded ordering to the blonde man behind the counter.  
They waited in silence until the man came back with their orders and place them before them.  
Baekhyun never had Park Dukedom’s salty crepe, but that one was so good and the scent so inviting, that he finally realized that he was hungrier than expected.  
There was a small silence in which they eat without any words, but then the man behind the counter spoke up to Chanyeol.  
“It was a while since you came here with someone. What do I have to think?” he asked him and Chanyeol huffed, throwing him a scolding stare.  
“Don’t even think about it. He’s just someone my family imposed on me. Nothing more” he replied, once again speaking about Baekhyun as if he wasn’t there.  
Baekhyun forced a smile, hinting a small bow toward the man who shook his head before smiling toward Baekhyun.  
“I’m Oh Sehun, nice to meet you” he added and Baekhyun hinted another bow.  
“Byun Baekhyun, glad to make your acquaintance” he replied softly and Sehun stared at him perplexed.  
“You are prince Byun?” he asked and Baekhyun nodded shortly, trying to maintain his perplexity.  
Sehun’s stare went from Baekhyun to Chanyeol and then once again to Baekhyun.  
“Is there any…” Baekhyun started but Chanyeol interrupted him.  
“Now that I think about it… Hawaii?” he asked and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Isn’t it suitable? Would have you preferred another location?” he asked back, stare worried and immediately wondering if Kyungsoo just replied him with the first thing it came to his mind or because he didn’t actually know it.  
Sehun snorted in reply, attracting both of their stares.  
“Hawaii? He already knows you so well?” he asked to Chanyeol and Baekhyun couldn’t quite understand if he was serious or joking.  
Chanyeol huffed.  
“Whatever. It was only luck” he replied shortly and Sehun laughed brilliantly, stare moving again to Baekhyun.  
“It was since middle school that he asks his parents to let him go to Hawaii” he commented and Baekhyun showed a small smile.  
“I am glad to hear that my choice was correct” he whispered and Sehun smiled softly at him.  
“Whatever would be good. Yeol like to travel” Sehun added and Baekhyun was perplexed at the utilization of that nickname.  
It was so intimate and he could almost feel warmth incoming from Sehun’s words.  
There were a lot of things that Baekhyun wasn’t able to do.  
But he was so able at reading people expectation or feelings just from words and voice tone that he knew that there was something going on between Chanyeol and Sehun.  
He was still wondering if it was a deep affection due to intimate friendship or if the two of them was in a relationship.  
Baekhyun never thought about Chanyeol already having someone he loved.  
Maybe one of the reasons why Chanyeol refused so strongly was indeed because he already had a loved one.  
Baekhyun sighed softly and wanted to ask more to Chanyeol, but in that moment Minseok, Jondae’s friend, entered from the front door.  
“Hello!” he almost shouted greeting Sehun and then noticing that there were also Chanyeol and Baekhyun.  
“Oh, Yeol? And oh boy, Baekhyun-ha?” he stated and Baekhyun smiled toward him.  
“Minseok-si, thank you again for last time. I enjoyed my time with you” he replied standing up and bowing shortly toward Minseok.  
“I had a great time too! Dae was lucky and did a good thing once in a while, inviting you along” he stated making Baekhyun open up in a small smile.  
“Indeed. I’m very grateful toward both of you” he continued, shortly bowing again.  
“Wait” Chanyeol started perplexed, glancing toward Minseok.  
“You met him before?” he asked toward Minseok who nodded briefly.  
“Yesterday? Dae met him in the elevator and invited him along with us?” was the perplexed reply.  
Also Baekhyun was perplexed.  
Did Chanyeol knew Minseok and Jondae?  
Chanyeol’s stare went immediately toward Baekhyun.  
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were with them?” he asked Baekhyun who frowned shortly.  
“I didn’t know that you…” he started but Chanyeol sighed, shaking his head.  
Baekhyun stopped, suddenly remembering the small argument they had the night before.  
He didn’t want to fight with Chanyeol, especially not in public places, not with his friend.  
“I apologize for not telling you sooner, Chanyeol-si” he concluded hinting a small bow before sitting down again and realizing he wasn’t so hungry anymore.  
There was a small silence and an exchange of stares between Chanyeol and Sehun before the door tingled again and Jondae entered too.  
“Morning guys!” he stated and then noticing that there was also Baekhyun beaming at him.  
“Baekhyun! So happy to see you!” he added and Baekhyun smiled softly at him.  
“It’s a pleasure for me too. And I am still grateful for yesterday, you both have my gratitude” he replied and Jondae frowned shortly.  
“What about a simple thank you?” he asked him jokingly and Baekhyun smiled again and wanted to reply but Chanyeol did it instead.  
“He always speaks like a dictionary, only formal sentences and pleasantries” he stated and Baekhyun pressed his lips in a thin line, forming a sad smile.  
“Chanyeol-si, as I already…” he started but Jondae stopped him.  
“And I find it fun, but I like it. It’s just the reflection of the education he had until now but doesn’t mean that he can’t learn new things” Jondae retorted, gaining Chanyeol’s perplexed stare.  
“If this is not sufficient, Baekhyun will never be able to adapt here if you continue to behave like this” he added but Baekhyun shook his head shortly.  
“Jondae, please, it doesn’t matter, really. It is my fault…” he started but Jondae glared at him, making him shut up abruptly.  
“How can this be your fault? You are too squared in your own education to be your fault. But it doesn’t mean that it’s wrong. Or that you cannot change it if you are willing to” Jondae explained and Baekhyun pressed again his lips together.  
“I can’t…” he started again, but Jondae shook his head.  
“Don’t let people convince you it’s like this. You can do your job also being more flexible, being more yourself” he added and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in surprise.  
“It’s not like I know you very well or other things, but I know that you are a good person and I’d like to see how the real Baekhyun is” he concluded and Baekhyun was speechless.  
For the first time in years he didn’t have a reply.  
Neither a stupid, banal, standard one.  
“You broke him” Minseok whispered to Jondae that took a nice shade of red before shaking his head.  
“I’m sorry, it’s just that I can’t stand not seeing the real thing under the façade. And your façade, Baekhyun, is so thick and so solid, that probably neither you know what’s underneath it” he concluded and Baekhyun pressed his lips together, stare shifting away from Jondae’s face.  
This time he couldn’t help it and ran his fingers through his hair, pulling them behind.  
He could feel the frustration about Jondae’s even too much correct words.  
Baekhyun knew that Jondae was, indeed, right.  
“I’m…” he started and Jondae put a hand in front of his face.  
“Sorry? You don’t have to. And I don’t know what it’s going on between you and Yeol, but I won’t let him treat you like this, being both of you princes or not” he stated and Baekhyun stared again at him before huffing a small laugh.  
The sound was brilliant and almost startled him, since it was a while since last time he felt like this.  
“Thank you” he whispered and Jondae neared the counter, sitting near where Chanyeol was still sitting, perplexed and dumbfounded.  
“Now, while Sehunnie bring me a cheese crepe, would you want to explain what in the world is happening and why you know each other?” he asked to Chanyeol, gesturing toward Baekhyun with his head.  
Chanyeol sighed deeply, shaking his head.  
“He’s heir prince of Byun Principality. Our families arranged a marriage. Now he lives with me and in less than ten days we will marry” he explained shortly and Baekhyun nodded briefly.  
Jondae hummed in thought, waiting shortly for something more to come, but when no other words were added, he stared perplexed at both.  
“Wait what? It’s not a joke?” he asked and Baekhyun shook his head earning himself a sigh from Jondae.  
“Oh boys, one of my best friends is getting married and I didn’t know about it?” he asked toward Chanyeol who frowned shortly.  
“Come on, your parents surely received the invitation, don’t be like this!” Chanyeol replied whining but Jondae shook his head.  
“Why in the world do you think I moved in your same building, you dumb prince? Because I didn’t want to live with my parents anymore. Do you think they would tell me? They almost disowned me!” he argued and Baekhyun couldn’t follow the discourse properly so Minseok patted shortly his shoulder, attracting his attention.  
“Dae’s father is a diplomatic for Park Government. His parents are pretty strict and don’t like how Jondae try to live his life without using his surname to get where he wants but stubbornly force himself to do his best. That’s why he moved in Yeol’s apartment complex and doesn’t get in contact with his parents” Minseok explained him and Baekhyun hummed in reply.  
Also Jondae was rich and his parents influent persons in the political world.  
Yet, he managed to be this carefree and joyful.  
Baekhyun just realized how deep and heavy were Jondae’s previous words on being oneself.  
“And! If this is not enough for you, why wouldn’t you tell me? It’s a big deal. I mean, marry someone at this age!” Jondae stated forcing Baekhyun again on the subject.  
Jondae was speaking with him more than with Chanyeol with that sentence.  
Baekhyun sighed shortly.  
“It’s not like we had any choice. My father clearly said that if I’m not able to succeed in this wedding, then I’m also not suitable for ruling our Principality so he will be forced to give it to nearby countries. But it’s not something that I want and I would do whatever it would take to protect our citizens” he explained making Chanyeol huff again and speaking up, telling what he was thinking about.  
“Sure, true. But what about you? Your interests, your hobbies, your loves…?” he asked and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Chanyeol-si, it’s not important who I am, but the fact that I’m the heir of Byun Principality. And if granting its existence mean getting married to you, I will. Nothing else matters” he replied but both Chanyeol and Jondae shook their head.  
“What if tomorrow you fall in love with someone? What would you do?” Jondae asked him, forcing his hand on Chanyeol’s mouth so that he had to shut up.  
Baekhyun forced a small smile.  
“I don’t know what love is. The only affection I feel is for my country and its inhabitants. I should ask it to Chanyeol-si, since apparently he’s fan of, what was it, entertaining lascivious behaviors?” he asked briefly and Chanyeol wanted again to comment, but Jondae pressed harder on his mouth.  
“Let alone Yeol and his hormones that he cannot keep hidden,” he started, pinching Chanyeol’s cheek who whined loudly, “we are speaking of you, not Yeol”.  
Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
“I would not fall in love with someone that can bring problems to the welfare of my country. And, if I would, I wouldn’t let this person ruin what I worked so hard for all these years” he stated again but Jondae shook his head.  
“It doesn’t work like that, you know?” Jondae asked him and Baekhyun forced another smile.  
“It won’t happen, Jondae. However, I don’t care particularly about it. If marrying Chanyeol-si grant me what I want, I won’t complain” he replied and only in that moment Chanyeol managed to speak up, pulling Jondae’s hand out of his mouth.  
“But it’s not what you want. It’s what your family taught you that you have to want” he exclaimed and Baekhyun sighed.  
“Does it make any difference?” he asked him and Chanyeol glared at him.  
“It should do, you idiot!” he replied but Baekhyun shook again his head.  
“It doesn’t. So please, can you simply get along with it? I don’t think I asked you anything particular or to bring love in this marriage” he required and Chanyeol frowned deeply.  
“And if I’m in love with someone else?” Chanyeol asked him directly and Baekhyun didn’t even flinch.  
“Please do whatever you want. Just don’t bring too many scandals on this farce” he replied making all the people in the room sigh almost in unison.  
There was a small silence and then Baekhyun spoke again.  
“I know that all of this seems unbelievable for you. However, this is everything it always was for me. I’m trying my best to understand how society works here and what can actually come from this alliance, but I don’t have any intention of losing the only thing I care about” he concluded and he felt tired and exhausted as if he spent all the day speaking with people and walking around meeting rooms.  
Jondae sat up and neared him, patting on his shoulder.  
“We will be here for everything, Baekhyun. Whatever problem or thought you want to share, we are here” he whispered making Minseok nod in approval.  
Baekhyun smiled softly, feeling a warm feeling bubbling inside his chest.  
“Thank you” he replied softly and he really felt the meaning behind those words.  
Minseok patted on his shoulder too before they both turned to Sehun.  
“Friday night? At eleven?” he asked and Sehun nodded shortly.  
“Yeah, I grant you that you won’t regret it” he replied, smirk appearing on his lips.  
Jondae beamed too before shifting his stare to Baekhyun again.  
“Do you want to tag along? Sehun will win a dance competition” he asked him and Baekhyun frowned shortly, staring at Sehun who shook his head.  
“No, guys. I’ll competing but I don’t have much chance to win” he added but Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“I suppose that with dance you mean something like hip-hop?” he asked generally and they all nodded, including Chanyeol that let out an appreciation whistle.  
“Who knew that you know hip-hop?” he asked and Baekhyun showed a polite, yet endearing smile.  
“I took some lesson too, actually…” he retorted leaving everyone dumbfounded.  
“Wait,” Jondae started, putting his hands in front of him, “you, prince Byun Baekhyun, prince of formalities and pleasantries, took hip-hop lessons? And your parents knew it?” he asked him and Baekhyun laughed shortly before shaking his head.  
“I didn’t say that they know it” he replied making Jondae gasp in astonishment.  
“Baekhyun, this is not your usual polite self!” he retorted and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
He had pretty fond memories of that lessons.  
It was probably one of the very few moments in which he did something without his parents consent and without letting them know about it.  
“I was nineteen. The teacher that came in was younger than usual and after the second waltz he realized that I was better than him in dancing. So, he asked me if there was something I was interested in or I wanted to learn. My parents still think that he taught me waltz, but instead he gave me some hip-hop lessons” he explained and Jondae with Minseok were both nodding, while Sehun turned around the counter nearing him.  
“I like the idea of such a polite prince dancing something so upbeat and sensual as hip-hop” he stated and Baekhyun nodded briefly, knowing the sensation that some songs could bring.  
“Show me something” Sehun almost ordered and Baekhyun’s stare wandered outside the small bar.  
“Is it safe here? If someone comes to know that I do also this kind of things, it would be the end of me” he replied and Jondae, flipped the signal on the door from “open” to “closed”.  
Baekhyun took off his jacket and rolled his sleeves up, while Sehun was fiddling with his phone, finding a suitable song.  
“History?” he proposed and Baekhyun nodded, recognizing the title song of one of his favorite bands.  
When the music started, strangely enough he felt sufficiently confident and matched his step immediately with Sehun’s.  
The routine was difficult but Baekhyun tried it so many times that it probably stuck in his head forever.  
And Sehun was gifted like few.  
Matched with Baekhyun’s step, following, never leading, matching his tempo but still showing all his abilities.  
When the music ended Baekhyun’s breath came shorter and he could feel sweat drops running down his neck and back.  
“Woah” Jondae commented, earning a soft breathless smile from Baekhyun who bowed shortly toward Sehun.  
“I would like to come to your competition, if it won’t bother you” he added and Sehun shook his head.  
“At all. I want to show you my real potential, Hyunnie” he replied making Baekhyun feel the blush creeping up to his cheeks.  
Sehun smiled innocently.  
“You prefer something more formal?” he asked immediately but Baekhyun shook his head at lightspeed.  
“Whatever you prefer, Mr. Oh” he replied and Sehun shook his head softly.  
“Sehun is fine, I’m also younger than you” he observed and Baekhyun nodded softly.  
“Sehun. I like your name” he commented honestly and Sehun’s cheeks tinted rose.  
Jondae and Minseok gasped in unison.  
“He made Sehun blush!” they both exclaimed and Baekhyun stared at them perplexed, stare shifting between them, Chanyeol that sat up reaching them, and Sehun.  
“I… It wasn’t…” he started saying but Chanyeol huffed.  
“No worries. It seems that Sehunnie likes you and he doesn’t like everyone. You should be grateful” he commented and Baekhyun bowed shortly toward Sehun.  
“I appreciate your kindness and acknowledgement, Sehunnie” he added making Sehun’s blush reddened even more.  
Baekhyun blushed too.  
“Too informal?” he asked him but Sehun immediately shook his head, taking Baekhyun’s hands in his, stare shifting to Chanyeol.  
“Just to let you know that that seventy percent of my soul that was yours, now it is Hyunnie’s. You can have a twenty percent of it if you want” Sehun stated and Chanyeol frowned deeply.  
“It takes you just this few to sell you out?” he asked and Sehun shook his head.  
“Give me some more time and we will be inseparable!” he retorted making Baekhyun smile.  
He wouldn’t be so bad having someone to spend time with, someone to speak to.  
Someone that could be called friend.

  
After that small brunch/dinner, they greeted everyone and walked back home.  
Surprisingly Sehun’s bar, wasn’t so distant from the building where Baekhyun and Chanyeol lived.  
They were in the lift when Baekhyun spoke up softly.  
“Thank you” he whispered and Chanyeol showed him a small smile, the first one since when they knew each other.  
“No need to. And for Sehunnie’s competition, it’s on Friday. Do you want me to accompany you?” he asked and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
“If you are going too, Chanyeol-si, I don’t want to bother you…” he replied softly but Chanyeol stopped him immediately.  
“I’m going and it doesn’t bother me bringing you along. And once again, you can call me simply Chanyeol, no need of honorifics, Baekhyun” he stated and Baekhyun’s perplexed stare was immediately on him.  
“Thank you. It’s the first time since I came here that you call me with my name…” he whispered and Chanyeol simply nodded making Baekhyun open in a small smile.  
Somewhere under the fierce stance and that cool façade maybe also Chanyeol was a good person.  
Maybe.

  
In the following days, Baekhyun and Chanyeol was scheduled hundreds of appointments for the wedding.  
Suits fitting.  
Haircutting.  
Better blue or white?  
Which flowers suit better Chanyeol’s red hair?  
And so on.  
Baekhyun, Friday afternoon, same day of Sehun’s dance competition and two days before their wedding, finally found the time to teach Chanyeol how to dance waltz.  
He had his sleeves rolled up and he thought that nothing could go worse in that moment because his mother was stressing him for every little small detail.  
Chanyeol was sitting on the couch when Baekhyun entered the living room.  
“Are you ready?” he asked him and Chanyeol nodded, consenting, resigned.  
“Waltz is pretty easy” Baekhyun started explaining taking Chanyeol’s hands in his and putting one on his own waist and taking the other with his matching hand.  
He felt Chanyeol stiffen at the proximity.  
“I know that maybe it’s an intimacy that you would prefer with a cute girl, but for few hours, cope with it, please” he whispered and Chanyeol nodded shortly, cringing.  
“You are changing your way of speaking” Chanyeol noted and Baekhyun nodded briefly.  
He and Jondae passed a lot of time on the phone and exchanged each other SNS account, commenting each other pictures or posts.  
Jondae was in all the possible senses, a friend to Baekhyun and he couldn’t be happier about it.  
“It’s Jondae’s influence” he replied making Chanyeol shook his head.  
“What would your mother say…” he started but Baekhyun interrupted him immediately.  
Obviously, his mother wouldn’t know anything about that.  
“Would you focus? We have only today and maybe tomorrow evening” was the only sentence that he managed and Chanyeol frowned.  
“Saturday, I think I have some event to attend” Chanyeol noted and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Don’t drink too much and come home early. Sunday is the day” he sighed, shortly, stare fixed on the floor and on the space around them in order to move.  
Chanyeol huffed shortly.  
“Yes, mom” he replied earning himself a scolding stare from Baekhyun.  
“If I was you mother, probably you wouldn’t be as you are right now. Be grateful I’m not” he spat out and Chanyeol smirked.  
“Sure, sure” he concluded and Baekhyun pulled him slightly near himself, making even more notable their height difference.  
“Focus. And do as I tell you. If you do, Sunday everything will be fine and both our mothers will be pleased and we won’t have problems of people telling us that you are not able to dance” he stated, starting explaining how it worked and which ones were the basic steps.  
After the first thirty minutes, Baekhyun thought they were screwed.  
Like, royally screwed.  
Chanyeol had the coordination of a trunk.  
He was too rigid and to fixed and not cooperative at all.  
“Chanyeol, please, tell me that you are joking” Baekhyun let out exhausted after almost two hours.  
Chanyeol grimaced, shaking his head.  
“It’s a loss of time. I hate this shit” he commented and Baekhyun sighed deeply, frowning.  
He carded his fingers through his hair and sat on the couch thinking.  
It would be embarrassing until the end of the world and back, but he could try teaching Chanyeol the woman’s step instead of the leading one.  
Baekhyun could do both, but woman’s steps were easier.  
Even though it would be strange seeing someone as tall as Chanyeol dancing that part.  
“Come here, last try” he stated, sitting up again and Chanyeol nodded, exasperated.  
His hands went automatically to Baekhyun’s waist but Baekhyun took it and place it on his shoulder.  
“I’ll show you something easier. Our last resort” he explained when Chanyeol frowned.  
Baekhyun placed his hand on Chanyeol’s waist and also how he gripped his other hands.  
“We will exchange the steps, okay? It should be easier for you” he whispered, recalculating the space around them and starting to count softly.  
This time it went better and it seemed that something could be done even with that much.  
Baekhyun leaded him slowly and Chanyeol seemed to be more at ease and unexpectedly managed to dance after the first tries.  
“Baekhyun! Am I good?” he asked almost excited and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
He was tired and a lot of things menaced to go wrong that Sunday but for a moment Baekhyun didn’t think about it and simply lead Chanyeol in that improvised waltz.  
“You are, I was almost ready to renounce” he replied making Chanyeol frown shortly.  
“Ya, how dare you lose your hope on me?” Chanyeol retorted and his tone was so serious that Baekhyun almost missed the step.  
Baekhyun shook shortly his head, smile stretching wider on his lips.  
There was a small silence and then Chanyeol huffed a small laugh, attracting Baekhyun’s perplexed stare.  
“I never saw you smiling so much. Are you enjoying yourself?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun hummed softly, slowing their tempo until a stop.  
He couldn’t simply enjoy teaching something to Chanyeol.  
And he couldn’t enjoy his free time like that.  
Baekhyun sighed shortly before pulling out a small smile, completely different from the previous genuine one.  
“I’m sorry, it’s better if I go prepare for tonight. It’s getting late” he whispered walking away and not meeting Chanyeol’s stare.  
Once inside his room, he sighed deeply again.  
He was letting himself go too much.  
Speaking more carefreely was a thing, wasting his time in those things was another.  
Remember who you are and where are you from, Byun – he told himself before walking to the bathroom and starting the water.

  
After they were both ready, Chanyeol simply drove them until the place where the competition was held.  
He didn’t mention the previous event nor asked Baekhyun about it.  
Their relationship was a bit better compared from the start, but still they were acquaintance more than almost friend.  
Chanyeol drove in silence, tapping his fingers on the gear, following the rhythm of songs that passed on the radio.  
When Baby don’t cry, another song of Baekhyun’s preferred band, passed on radio, he started to sing along without even realizing it, like it was the most natural thing in the world.  
Chanyeol’s fingers stilled on the gearshift and Baekhyun felt his stare on him.  
“Do you mind?” he asked briefly and Chanyeol shook his head, stare returning on the street.  
There was another moment of silence and then Chanyeol spoke up.  
“Is there something that you can’t do, Baekhyun?” he asked him and Baekhyun stared at him perplexed before exploding in a brilliant laugh.  
“Obviously yes. A lot of sports, for example. Play violin? Oh, and swimming” he replied smiling softly and Chanyeol shook his head briefly before frowning deeply.  
“Swimming?” he echoed and Baekhyun nodded.  
“We never had a pool and we are not near the sea, so it would be too expensive teaching me how to swim. And I never actually need it, so it’s fine” he explained but Chanyeol seemed perplexed by the thing.  
“Why Hawaii then?” Chanyeol asked again and Baekhyun pressed his lips in a thin line.  
“Honestly?” Baekhyun asked back and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“You have no reason to lie to me” he observed and Baekhyun sighed deeply, head leaning on the window of the passenger’s seat.  
“I asked Kyungsoo-si what place you would like better” he finally replied and Chanyeol frowned again, shaking his head, perplexed.  
“Why?” he asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Why not?” he retorted and Chanyeol huffed in exasperation.  
“Are you kidding me? You can’t swim and you choose a place in the middle of the ocean because… why not?” he spat out and Baekhyun bit his lips softly.  
“For me whatever location was fine, Chanyeol, why are you making a big drama about it? You are happy to go there, even if it’s with me and for our honeymoon” he stated and Chanyeol cringed at the word honeymoon.  
Baekhyun sighed again, without leaving him the time to add anything.  
“I know that you would like whatever other company and not for that reason, but could you simply enjoy it? You don’t need to think about whether I like it or not” he added and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“You are an idiot, you know?” he replied but it was with a strange tone, lower than usual and without the offense that usually was in almost every Chanyeol’s sentence toward Baekhyun.  
“Yeah, you tell me like ten times per day at least” he whispered, moving his stare outside the windows and seeing that it was starting a light rain.  
There was again a small silence and then Chanyeol slow down a bit, entering in a side street and parking the car in the parking lot of a huge glassed building.  
When he completely stopped and turned off the engine, Baekhyun was opening his door but Chanyeol stopped him, slightly touching his arm.  
His hand stopped there and Baekhyun felt extremely warm where Chanyeol was touching him.  
“You have to take better care of yourself” Chanyeol whispered before exiting the car, leaving Baekhyun dumbfounded.  
He sighed deeply, exiting too and following Chanyeol in silence inside the building.  
As soon as he entered, a short man came to meet them and escorted them in a private area of the seating.  
They waited in silence for the other to arrive too.  
When Jondae arrived, hugged Baekhyun so tightly that Baekhyun wandered if something good or bad happened, stare inquiring his friend who shook his head and made a sign for talking about it later.  
They waited in silence Sehun’s turn, shortly commenting only the other performances that seemed good enough to spend some words on it.  
But when it was Sehun’s turn, everybody was speechless.  
The energy he had on the stage, the technique and his skills were way superior to any other participants.  
As forecasted by Jondae, Sehun won the competition and they all went to meet him in the backstage.  
Just opening the door of the waiting room and Sehun was already hugging him and Jondae super tightly, squeezing them.  
“You did great, son” Jondae joked making Sehun laugh and Baekhyun patted on his back softly.  
“You are awesome, Sehunnie” he whispered and Sehun beamed at him, releasing Jondae from the hug to hug Baekhyun wholly.  
Baekhyun stiffened in the embrace but he immediately relaxed.  
“Thank you” he whispered back and Baekhyun smiled softly, hugging him back.  
It was the first time he hugged someone so tightly.  
Seeing Sehun so happy made a joyful feeling bloom also in Baekhyun’s chest that suddenly proposed dinner.  
“Dinner? At this hour?” Minseok asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Is not good?” he added immediately after, soft tone and tilting his head on the side, earning himself a round of blushes on everyone’ faces.  
“Oh boy, prince of aegyo, sure it’s good! Whatever you want to eat, let’s go!” Jondae exclaimed and Minseok nodded immediately.  
Even on Chanyeol’s and Sehun’s face there was a faint blush.  
“Did I…?” Baekhyun asked shortly but Sehun leaned his arms one around Baekhyun’s shoulders and the other around Chanyeol’s.  
“Nothing, let’s go” he whispered guiding them outside and starting a talk about what they wanted to eat.  
“What about that new sushi place?” Minseok stated in the end and Jondae cooed.  
“Sushi!” he started chanting and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
He knew what sushi was but never actually eat it.  
However, seeing all that enthusiasm, it would be something good for sure.  
It almost felt normal, like a Friday evening hang out with friends.  
And for that evening he didn’t want to think about anything else if not that.  
Chanyeol drove them until the sushi restaurant suggested by Minseok and they sat altogether deciding what to order.  
Chanyeol sat near him like it was a normal thing, sharing with him a menu.  
“I’ll pay so don’t restraint yourself” Chanyeol almost whispered, leaning in and Baekhyun felt his cheeks becoming hot for apparently no reason.  
Chanyeol’s voice sounded different in his ears, deeper and somehow sweeter than usual.  
“You don’t need to, since I suggested it…” he started turning toward Chanyeol but not expecting him to be so near.  
It was just a second but for that second he could see all the hues in Chanyeol’s dark brown eyes.  
And it was beautiful.  
He slightly parted his lips, knowing what he wanted to say but words not leaving his lips.  
“I…” he whispered and Chanyeol’s eyes widened too, due to that unrequited proximity.  
“Sorry” Chanyeol added backing off but Baekhyun was enthralled by that moment and even when his stare returned to the menu, he continued to think about that.  
“Have you decided?” Jondae asked them and Baekhyun shook his head shortly, pushing the menu a bit toward Chanyeol so he could read better.  
“For me also the big mixed thing, if someone is up for sharing” Chanyeol stated and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
“I’ve never eaten sushi so maybe I can share it with you?” he whispered earning himself a gasp from everyone else.  
Minseok almost blanched.  
“Why didn’t you tell it sooner?” Minseok asked him and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“If you guys are so fan of it, it should be good?” he replied honestly and Chanyeol shook his head near him.  
“Let’s take one big mix and some salmon and… what would you like? Rice cake? Or is it better noodles? In case you don’t like sushi” Chanyeol asked him pointing on the menu different things and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
“Noodles? With seafood?” he replied softly and he felt too conscious having everyone’s stare on him.  
“Fine. What you don’t like, I’ll eat it” Chanyeol concluded, calling the waiter to order.  
Baekhyun sighed shortly.  
“I feel like a spoiled boy like this” he whispered making everyone laugh and Sehun shook his head.  
“I’m still the youngest and most spoiled brat of the company, no worries” he replied earning various nodding in reply.  
Chanyeol, though, smiled softly toward him and it seemed like he wanted to say something but Jondae intervened.  
“You have to express yourself more, Baek. If you want something, speak. And if you don’t know something, ask us!” he said and Baekhyun force a small smile.  
“It’s not easy. I’m not used to express my taste or my thoughts. Except while negotiating in politics” he whispered and Minseok nodded.  
“Than do it like it was politics?” he suggested earning a glare from Jondae and a small smirk from Baekhyun.  
“You wouldn’t like it. I’m… different. And zero percent friendly” he stated and Chanyeol nodded shortly in agreement.  
Baekhyun had only two meeting regarding politics and finance since when he arrived in Park Dukedom, and in both was present also Chanyeol, but he remembered them in a different way from Chanyeol himself.  
“I was restraining myself. If it was my minister he would be already fired” Baekhyun stated in his defense, making Jondae and Sehun flinch.  
Chanyeol shook his head shortly.  
“Maybe you didn’t realize but with your calm and icy tone you practically told him that he’s an incompetent and that if he cared about the financial stability of this country he had to quit his work!” he retorted and Baekhyun shook his head, exasperated.  
“Incompetent people are incompetent” he stated and Chanyeol shook his head, earning a laugh from the rest of the company.  
“So Baekhyun can be pretty icy too” Jondae stated and Chanyeol nodded again.  
“Also with his mother” he added and Baekhyun pressed his lips in a thin line.  
“Can we not…?” he started but Chanyeol was already changing the subject, speaking about how immediately after the party for their marriage they would leave for a week.  
“Ah, Hawaii… so lucky!” Minseok stated and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“What’s main attraction in Hawaii? Apart for scuba diving and surf?” he asked mumbling and Jondae hummed shortly.  
“Cuisine? Taro and octopus are two of the main ingredients of their traditional cooking!” Minseok added and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“If cooking is good, I think I can go everywhere” he observed making Sehun laugh shortly.  
“Beware not eating too much or you will get fat” Jondae added and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Impossible” he stated proudly.  
Baekhyun loved to eat and loved almost everything he ate in his life.  
He liked to taste new dishes and different cuisine.  
However, he was gifted in eating whatever he pleased without getting fatter even in the slightest.  
Jondae stared at him perplexed but the waiter came in bringing food and drinks.  
They toasted to Sehun’s victory and then started eating.  
Baekhyun was marveled by raw fish taste and tried every different one.  
“What is that one with…” he started pointing to the same big plate that he was sharing with Chanyeol.  
Chanyeol indicated immediately and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
Chanyeol took it with his chopstick and gave it to Baekhyun.  
“It’s good, eat it” he added and Baekhyun wanted to, but it would mean take it from Chanyeol’s chopstick.  
“Or do you want me to treat you like a brat?” he asked back, making Baekhyun frown and lean in to eat the sushi.  
He ate it in a single mouthful, munching on it, closing his eyes in appreciation.  
“So good…” he whispered, hand in front of his mouth, still munching it.  
There was a small silence and then Sehun whispered.  
“Hyunnie, why are you so cute while you eat?” he asked him and Baekhyun blushed softly.  
“I’m not” he replied but both Jondae and Minseok shook their head.  
He hummed shortly.  
Maybe he let himself go too easily.  
It was a while since last time he really enjoyed someone else’s company so much.  
“Hope this doesn’t bother you. I’m sorry…” he whispered but Chanyeol pinched his cheek.  
“Don’t apologize for everything. Sehun made an appreciation toward you. What should you say?” he asked him and Baekhyun pressed his hand on his cheek, stare shifting from Chanyeol to Sehun and back.  
“Thank you?” he suggested and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
Baekhyun slightly hinted to a bow toward Sehun.  
“Thanks, Sehunnie” he whispered and Sehun sat up only to go around the table and hug Baekhyun, snuggling his nose in Baekhyun’s neck.  
Baekhyun stiffened again at the affection display, before breathing slowly and moving his hands to caress Sehun’s hair.  
“Are you a puppy?” he asked Sehun who barked jokingly, making Baekhyun huff a laugh.  
Chanyeol laughed shortly too.  
“He is, he is. It’s like his second nature” he stated and Jondae snorted.  
“Oh, sure, because you aren’t?” Jondae commented, playful smirk present on his lips staring at Chanyeol.  
Chanyeol smiled shortly.  
“Never said that” he replied and Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“Who would say that you are someone that like to display his affection?” Baekhyun murmured and Chanyeol pressed his lips in a thin line.  
“Oh sure he is. People don’t know usually, but Yeol is this concentrated of fluffiness and softness” Jondae continued, making Chanyeol frown deeply.  
Baekhyun smiled briefly.  
“Well, everyone has his own preferences, no? Surely he wouldn’t feel soft for this kind of thing, but maybe for some other including cute girls doing aegyo?” he commented but Jondae shook his head.  
“Girls, boys, it doesn’t matter” he stated and Chanyeol huffed, attracting Baekhyun’s perplexed stare.  
“How could it not matter? I mean, it should be different…” he asked genuinely astonished.  
“Baek, have you ever been in love with someone?” Jondae inquired and Baekhyun shook his head immediately.  
“Dated someone?” Minseok asked too, earning the same reaction from Baekhyun.  
“So Chanyeol is your first… relationship?” Sehun whispered still hugging him from the back.  
Baekhyun hummed in thought.  
“If you want to call it like this, yes” he replied shortly, eyes not meeting with Chanyeol.  
It was somehow… awkward?  
Jondae was shocked.  
And also Chanyeol seemed… flustered?  
“Oh boy, poor you…” Minseok commented and Baekhyun shook his head shortly.  
“It’s not like I particularly care about it. It would be worse if I actually had someone I loved” he whispered, still not meeting Chanyeol’s stare.  
He knew that Chanyeol was against this thing from the very start and he didn’t liked Baekhyun at all.  
Chanyeol was friendly with him just because somehow Baekhyun became friend with his friends.  
“And Chanyeol already know what I think about all of this. He’s free to behave as he prefers, if it doesn’t bring any scandal to my family or to this marriage” he added forcing a small smile but Jondae shook his head desperate.  
“Baek, you are too light on this. What if you will meet someone you love?” he asked again, bringing in again the same discourse.  
Baekhyun sighed, shaking his head.  
“Can we not speak again about this? I won’t fall in love with anyone so can you please drop the subject?” he retorted and Jondae pressed his lips in a thin line before nodding.  
There was a small silence and then Baekhyun felt Sehun snuggling again on his neck, before distancing himself from Baekhyun and forcing him to sat up.  
“Hyunnie, you never know, right?” he asked him softly leaning his and kissing him on his nose.  
Baekhyun blushed extra red, feeling his cheeks catching fire.  
“What was that?” Minseok asked perplexed toward Sehun who smiled widely.  
“Nothing! I’m just interested in wherever this subject can go. You can be full of surprise, right?” he asked toward Baekhyun who frowned shortly.  
“I’m just…” he started replying and Sehun added: “you. And that’s what matter to me” he concluded, earning himself a new frown from Baekhyun and a scornful stare from Jondae and Chanyeol.  
There was a small silence interrupted only from Baekhyun’s phone ringtone.  
He fished it from his pocket, checking the caller ID and sighing at the sight.  
“I will shortly take my leave. It shouldn’t take too long, I suppose…” he whispered and Chanyeol clicked his tongue.  
“It’s from your mother?” he asked and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I apologize, however I have to take this call” he added softly walking away from the table and taking the call.  
“Baekhyun-ha, it has been a while? How are you?” his mother asked him and he forced a smile.  
“Fine, mother, thank you. Is your health fine too? And father’s?” he replied and she replied affirmatively.  
She started talking about how her day was and how everything was already done for Sunday.  
“Mother, I apologize for my rudeness in interrupting you” he started when he was definitely having enough of her talking about nothing, but knowing that the others were waiting for him.  
When she stopped speaking, Baekhyun continued.  
“However, I was having dinner with Chanyeol-si. May I call you later or tomorrow morning?” he asked her and she almost squealed in surprise.  
“Baekhyun-ha, you should have told me before! Go, dear, don’t make him wait!” she stated and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
“I apologize again for keeping it short. I will call you back tomorrow morning” he concluded and after a few more words, she hanged up.  
Baekhyun sighed shortly, feeling the weight of his own insincerity.  
Staying with Chanyeol and his friends, made him realized how much he had to force himself back to speak with his mother or with all the people who knew him from before.  
With Jondae and Sehun he was at ease, telling them what he was thinking, without worrying about language, formal speech or whatever other idiocy.  
And also with Chanyeol he could manage that a bit, even if he was still wary about it.  
He went back to where the other were, finding only Jondae.  
“They went out, shall we go too?” he asked and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
They walked side by side along the corridor when Jondae stopped abruptly.  
“You changed” Jondae stated and Baekhyun frowned briefly.  
He wanted to ask in what sense, but Jondae smiled softly.  
“Sometimes I had the hunch that finally I’ll see what’s under your façade. But then when Chanyeol get too close to you, you revert back. Is there something wrong?” he asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Problem of what kind?” he asked him and Jondae hummed, staring intensely at him before shaking his head and starting again to walk.  
Baekhyun followed him, perplexed, but Jondae changed immediately discourse.  
“I asked Seok to go out with me” he stated and Baekhyun hummed.  
“You did that also before” he replied innocently and Jondae laughed briefly.  
“I mean in the relationship way” he added and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in surprise.  
“Wait, you and Minseok-si? Together like… together?” he asked him and Jondae nodded again, faint blush appearing on his cheeks.  
“Yeah” he replied and Baekhyun smiled widely.  
“I’m so glad for you, Jondae!” he stated, taking his friend’s hand and gripping it slightly.  
Jondae smiled back.  
“I’m glad too” he whispered and Baekhyun started asking him more details.  
He was so happy for Jondae that he could feel that warm feeling too.  
It was the first time he shared something so dear and so tender as Jondae’s love for Minseok.  
And somehow also the first time he ever wondered how it was to be in love with someone.  
The only thought scared him, but Jondae was so happy about those feelings.  
Baekhyun smiled all the way through the exit, listening to Jondae’s ranting and only when they were outside Baekhyun realized the weight of that wedding.  
Marrying someone you don’t love at all, with which you don’t share a single thing.  
His stare unintentionally met with Chanyeol’s and he diverged it immediately, forced smile plastering again on his lips.  
He shouldn’t forget for who he was doing all of that.  
Byun Principality’s fate depended from that marriage and he would do whatever he could for the sake of his citizens.

  
Friday came a conclusion way too early and Saturday followed it promptly.  
Even before Baekhyun could realize it, it was eleven in the evening of the night previous his wedding.  
He was sitting on the couch of his shared apartment with Chanyeol, with the worst feeling in the world.  
Baekhyun could sense that Chanyeol was somewhere wasting his evening away.  
He asked him hundreds of time to be careful and not to drink too much, but Chanyeol was surely doing that.  
He didn’t show it, but that marriage was heavy also on his shoulders.  
Chanyeol was forced on it how much Baekhyun was.  
So he waited, and waited.  
And waited.  
Hoping that everything would be fine and Chanyeol not too hungover the day after.  
Only at two am, after two carton of beer and several missed calls later, Chanyeol decided to show up, making a confusion not suited for that hours and waking Baekhyun up from the couch where he ended up asleep after some beers.  
“I was worried” Baekhyun stated voice softly and stare trying to adapt to the sudden light turned on from Chanyeol.  
“You didn’t have to” he replied and Baekhyun nodded.  
“How drunk are you?” he asked softly and Chanyeol walked toward him, staggering a bit but not too much.  
So maybe still enough to be conscious without being too hungover.  
“You care too much for nothing, pretty boy. After sleeping, it will be like nothing happened” he whispered and he stank of alcohol and of woman perfume.  
Baekhyun bit his lips shortly.  
Would that be his future for every day to come after the marriage?  
He sat up, sighing.  
“Sure. I sincerely apologize for worrying and taking in consideration that something might have happened to you. Next time I won’t bother staying up” he muttered back, walking toward his room, but Chanyeol stopped him.  
“I can’t stand you, you know?” he asked him and Baekhyun snorted.  
“You don’t fail to show it, yeah” he replied, freeing his hand from Chanyeol’s grip.  
Chanyeol shook his head shortly.  
“Because you are so fake and so disgustingly accommodating in everything people tell you that it makes me want to punch you” Chanyeol continued and Baekhyun sighed.  
“I already told you. I don’t care about it or about this farce. I care only of my people. You don’t have to like me, you just have to pretend” he stated but Chanyeol shook his head again.  
“Pretend it’s so easy to you. Covering everything with a thick persona, suitable for all the exigences” he whispered and Baekhyun pressed his lips harder.  
“It’s the only thing I’m worth for. There’s nothing under the persona you speak about” he finally declared, gaining a perplexed stare from Chanyeol.  
“I don’t ask you anything but pretend to love me. Pretend that everything is fine. When we are home you don’t have to speak with me or stand me if you don’t want to. Now go to sleep, tomorrow will be a long day” he concluded walking away and closing the door behind himself.  
He slipped and told him something that he shouldn’t, revealing part of his unsureness and fears.  
Not too bad since Chanyeol would forget everything the day after.

  
He was woken up by coffee scent pervading the house.  
It was early.  
Too early.  
Like five in the morning.  
He slept no more than three hours and he felt so tired.  
But that coffee scent, invited him to exit the bed and go toward the kitchen.  
Chanyeol was leaning on the counter, eyes closed and clearly half-asleep.  
“Are you okay?” Baekhyun whispered, startling him.  
Chanyeol stared at him briefly before nodding.  
“It’s too early. Sleep” he replied but Baekhyun neared him, fingers brushing Chanyeol’s forehead.  
He seemed tired and maybe he also had fever?  
Chanyeol retracted immediately at the small contact and Baekhyun bit his lips, hands clenching on his t-shirt.  
“Sorry” was the only thing he managed to say but Chanyeol sighed.  
“Can you please stop saying you are sorry for everything?” he asked and Baekhyun cringed shortly.  
He wanted to go back to his room again declaring it as a nightmare, but Chanyeol caressed his cheek softly, fingers brushing his skin oh so delicately, startling him.   
What was happening?  
Chanyeol hadn’t touched him before.  
“You don’t have to be sorry, Baekhyun. Stop taking fault you don’t have” he whispered softly, stare tired but lucid, no traces of the previous drunkenness.  
“If you have to cope with this, is my fault” Baekhyun observed and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I accepted it, though. So it’s my fault too?” Chanyeol asked back and Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“We both have things we want, no? It’s an arrangement. But we have both to set our conditions. Tell me what you want and I will tell you what I want” he stated and Baekhyun shook his head too.  
“I don’t care about anything but my people and you know it” he replied but Chanyeol pressed a finger on Baekhyun’s lips, making him shut up immediately.  
“So you don’t care about Jondae and Sehun?” he asked him and Baekhyun’s eyes widened in surprise.  
“What do they…?” he started but Chanyeol smiled tiredly.  
“They are not part of your citizens, right? But still, don’t you like and cherished them?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“They are my friends, yes” he replied softly, small smile appearing on his lips and Chanyeol showed him a soft yet tired smile too.  
“So, it’s not only you and your people. It’s you and your, our, friends. It’s you and me. I want it to go well too. Because there’s no way back. In few more hours you will be married to me and I will be to you. And I don’t care if we don’t love each other. I don’t care if it’s all pretending. However, I want to be your friend in this. An ally. You don’t have to find another enemy in me” he whispered and Baekhyun was speechless.  
There was a small silence during which they just stared at each other for an undefined time, simply observing.  
“You…” Baekhyun started, voice soft too soft to be heard.  
He cleared his throat, retrying.  
“You know what this mean right?” he asked and Chanyeol pulled out another cute smile.  
“Standing your formal self for years to come?” he replied and Baekhyun snorted, shaking his head before returning serious.  
“It’s knowing that there’s nothing behind that” Baekhyun stated but Chanyeol shook his head too.  
“I’ll prove you wrong” Chanyeol stated, fingers caressing again Baekhyun’s cheek.  
Coffee machine beeped, wanting their attention and Chanyeol smiled again.  
“So, what do you say, partner?” he asked to Baekhyun who smiled back at him.  
“Let’s toast to it with a coffee” he concluded earning the most beautiful and sweet smile he ever saw on Chanyeol, making him look beautiful.  
Baekhyun didn’t know what happened in that moment, but he felt like he and Chanyeol could finally proceed on the same path for a common target.

  
They talked about small things regarding each other lives, all the hours that separated them to the start of everything.  
At seven and half, two separate cars came to retrieve them bringing them in different places.  
Before exiting their home, Chanyeol stopped him.  
“I won’t wear the necktie today” he stated and Baekhyun frowned shortly but Chanyeol smiled at him.  
“It’s still my way to state that I’m agreeing to this but with my reserves” he continued making Baekhyun explode in a cheeky laugh.  
Chanyeol smiled too.  
“I want to see you like this also later” he concluded exiting the apartment and going away with his car.  
Baekhyun was perplexed but kind of liked that strange friendship that could bloom from an unfortunate turn of events.  
If anybody would tell him twenty-four hours before everything that he would be facing marriage preparation with a smile, he wouldn’t believe it.  
Yet.  
Suit fitting went as expected well, as also hairstylists and makeup artists.  
He was almost humming, while waiting for the right moment and for his mother come and pick him up to go to the beautiful building where the function was held.  
As per his mother’s will, Baekhyun’s suit was ivory white, with white velvet decorations.  
Baekhyun’s knew that Chanyeol’s mother wanted him to dress with a pearl grey suit, but he refused and bought himself a dark scarlet suit instead.  
Chanyeol’s personality was once again showing more than expected.  
Baekhyun hadn’t see it yet but he was so sure that he would suit him so much.  
He was waiting in the waiting room when his mother came in almost running.  
She was wearing a pale blue silk dress and she looked distressed.  
“Baekhyun-ha, did you see Chanyeol-ha?” he asked him and Baekhyun frowned shaking his head shortly, fishing his phone from his pocket.  
It wasn’t late so he hummed shortly before composing Chanyeol’s phone number.  
He waited for him to reply and at the third ring, he picked up.  
“Baekhyun?” he replied perplexed.  
“Sorry for bothering you, but everything is fine? My mother and Queen Park are looking for you?” he asked him and Chanyeol hummed in thought.  
“Yeah, give me just one second. Am I late?” he retorted and Baekhyun heard him fiddling with something.  
“No, would you meet me outside the function room in five minutes?” Baekhyun continued and Chanyeol hummed.  
There was a small silence and then Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“Come on, later it’s Hawaii time. Don’t you want to go together?” he asked him and Chanyeol laughed on the other side of the line.  
“You are right. Five minutes and I’m there” he concluded hanging up and Baekhyun sighed softly.  
“There’s no need to worry, mother. Five minutes and he will be there” he explained and his mother frowned shortly.  
“Where was he?” she asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I don’t know” he whispered and his mother frowned again.  
“And how do you know that he will arrive soon?” she asked again but Baekhyun shook his head again.  
“I know and that’s it” he replied, fixing his necktie and looking at his reflection in the mirror.  
“Please, he is not as reckless as he can seem” he added and watched his mother frowning in the mirror.  
“Baekhyun-ha, aren’t you too indulgent?” she asked and Baekhyun sighed softly.  
“No. I know him, he will be there” he replied finally and praying internally for Chanyeol’s actions to match his faith in him.  
He convinced his mother to go and wait as all the other in the function room, and then waited for Chanyeol outside it.  
Five minutes became ten, and Baekhyun was starting to worry when Chanyeol arrived almost running.  
“I know I’m late, sorry” he stated and Baekhyun picked up his tissue from his pocket and dabbed softly Chanyeol’s forehead.  
“Was it so urgent to make you arrive late to your own marriage?” he asked and Chanyeol nodded.  
“I had to make some last changes” he replied making Baekhyun frown but without giving him any time to reply or object.  
“Won’t we go? Before your mother gets a heart attack and mine starts hyperventilating?” he added and Baekhyun smiled softly, nodding.  
“Sure, let’s go” he concluded, putting away the tissue and pushing the door open.  
Music started playing and they walked side by side until where the pastor was.  
He smiled at both of them and started talking, explaining things that Baekhyun didn’t listen to.  
It was something majestic, in lilac and pale blue tones brilliant lights and flowers everywhere, how it could be expected from a royal wedding but still not too ostentatious.  
Baekhyun had his mind away for more than the eighty percent of the function.  
It was thinking about everything that would come after, what would change, how people would behave around them.  
But mainly at how Chanyeol was being strangely kind since the night before, or better that early morning.  
He looked stunning in that amaranth suit and he never failed to smile, eyes sparkling.  
Baekhyun had to ask himself if Chanyeol had somewhere a twin brother.  
It was only when he turned to face Chanyeol slightly before their promises that, at the very end of the hall Baekhyun could see Jondae and Sehun.  
He was pleasantly surprised by their presence there, especially Sehun’s since he wasn’t any kind of noble or rich descending family, but his attention was took again by Chanyeol’s voice, starting with his promises before the rings exchange.  
It was the only things they didn’t share between them and neither with their mothers.  
“Baekhyun, I promise to cherish you until the end of the world and back” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
Simple yet sweet.  
“Chanyeol, you and your welfare will always be my priority. Whatever it might be, we will face it together” he replied and Chanyeol’s eyes went wider for an instant and then smiled again softly yet beautifully.  
“Let’s walk together” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun wanted to reply something but Chanyeol leant in, without waiting the signal or the okay from the pastor, and kissed Baekhyun softly on his lips.  
At the sudden gesture, Baekhyun felt the blush coming to his cheeks and a warm bubbling feeling fluttering in his chest.  
It was so sweet and so perfect that he had to force himself thinking that it was just a pretending.  
That it was just because they had to and that that warm feeling was nothing more than a natural reaction of being kissed by someone.  
They exchanged a stare that was almost perplexed on both part and then Chanyeol’s sister came in with the rings.  
“Thank you” Chanyeol whispered to her taking both and giving Baekhyun his own.  
“Please take care of me” Chanyeol said him softly, putting the ring on Baekhyun’s finger.  
Baekhyun nodded shortly and repeated the same sentence, voice slightly wavering, and putting the ring on Chanyeol’s finger, slightly gripping it.  
“I now declare this marriage sealed and valid” the pastor finally said and Chanyeol took Baekhyun’s hand, leaning in and whispering in Baekhyun’s ear.  
“Now it starts the best. You ready?” he asked him and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
Maybe after all it wouldn’t be so bad?  
“Sure, and you?” he replied making Chanyeol snort and smile softly again.  
They both bowed toward the guests, Chanyeol’s hand still holding tight Baekhyun’s hand.  
Baekhyun had some hazy memories of that moment.  
He remembered flashes, a lot of questions, photos, people asking them what would change between Byun Principality and Park Dukedom after their marriage and so on.  
He patiently replied to everything, even on Chanyeol’s part that simply stayed there by his side, fingers still intertwined with his, smiling and nodding.  
He could relax only partially when going toward the waiting room again, he met Sehun and Jondae.  
Jondae was very formal, holding his hand and congratulating, while Sehun hugged him tightly.  
Baekhyun smiled softly in the embrace, grateful that they were both there.  
“Everything will be fine, Hyunnie” Sehun whispered and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“And if it doesn’t, I’ll manage somehow” Baekhyun replied, earning himself a pinch on the side from Sehun who frowned shortly.  
“You are not alone in this and I’ve already told you” he added and Baekhyun nodded.  
“I owe, Sehunnie” he concluded, feeling Chanyeol’s hand pulling at his.  
“We have to go now. See you around?” Baekhyun said shortly and Jondae gave him thumbs up.  
“Take a lot of pictures in Honolulu” he replied and Baekhyun nodded walking away with Chanyeol.  
They were alone just for five minutes.  
They stayed in silence, studying each other and wondering if it was appropriate to tell something and if yes, what.  
When Baekhyun was almost speaking, thanking Chanyeol for not making a scene out of that, their mothers entered the room.  
“Baekhyun-ha, you were so cute and so formal. Perfect!” his mother told him and Baekhyun bowed shortly toward her.  
“Thank you, mother, I appreciate your feelings” he replied, without leaving Chanyeol’s hand.  
He felt Chanyeol gripping slightly harder on his hand.  
Baekhyun’s stare went to his face that was clearly worried, almost sad.  
He wanted to ask if everything was fine, but Chanyeol closed that small distance that there was between them and leant in speaking in his ear again.  
“Remember what I told you this morning? I want to see you smile” he whispered and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in astonishment.  
Definitely something happened in Chanyeol.  
His behavior was so different for last night when he said that he couldn’t stand Baekhyun.  
Which one was the real one?  
Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
Two could play the same game and Chanyeol was as good as pretending as Baekhyun could be, apparently.  
It was a farce, a play, nothing more.  
The day proceeded steadily in between photos and interviews.  
Even if there was a huge banquet, Baekhyun hadn’t the time to eat anything.  
And when he thought that maybe he could eat something, it was the moment to open the dances with the waltz he tried just one time with Chanyeol.  
They stood in front of each other, exchanging stares for a second and then Baekhyun hinted a small smile.  
“Just follow me” he whispered and Chanyeol nodded, placing his hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder.  
“Your mother won’t like it” Chanyeol commented when Baekhyun placed his hand on Chanyeol’s waist and started moving together with the music.  
“Please focus and don’t think about that” he replied stiffly, leading Chanyeol in the waltz, softly and elegantly.  
Chanyeol was unexpectedly prepared for having tried just a time but Baekhyun sighed in relief.  
“Why you always try to avoid us speaking of your mother?” Chanyeol asked him, making him frown shortly.  
“Do we have to speak about this now?” he retorted, pushing a tired smile on his lips.  
Chanyeol nodded.  
“Why not now? We are here dancing until you will feel dizzy, so speak” he replied and Baekhyun chuckled softly.  
“It’s easier that you will feel dizzy. I’m trained also for this” he observed but Chanyeol shook his head, clicking his tongue.  
“You are avoiding it again” he interjected making Baekhyun sigh, stare wandering around the hall, observing the guests.  
“I don’t… hate my mother, Chanyeol. It’s just that she’s a perfectionist and very strict in a lot of things” he whispered for the first time in his life, telling truly to someone what he thought about his own mother.  
“Like when she slapped you the first time we met?” he asked him and Baekhyun pressed his lips in a thin line.  
“That was nothing compared to other things happened in the past, but yes that that’s the kind of thing I’m thinking about” he replied and Chanyeol frowned shortly.  
“Are they… frequent?” he asked him and Baekhyun hummed shortly in reply.  
“When I was young, yes. But I deserved it for being a spoiled brat, like Sehun would say” he added, smiling at the idea.  
Chanyeol didn’t smile back, though.  
“Of all the negative adjective I could think about you, spoiled brat is totally not on the list. It’s the exact contrary, actually” he commented, making Baekhyun frown in perplexity.  
“You are too compliant. Too amenable, obliging” Chanyeol added and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I didn’t know you knew all these difficult words” he interject, jokingly, making Chanyeol huff before shaking his head.  
“You are changing the subject again” Chanyeol noted and Baekhyun slowed down their dance matching the tempo ending the song.  
“Next time we will dance again, maybe” he concluded coming a definite stop.  
He was about to leave Chanyeol’s hand from his, but Chanyeol gripped shortly before letting him go.  
“I won’t wait for it. We have our honeymoon to get you to talk about it” he concluded leaning in and softly kiss his cheek.  
There was a sound applause exploding in the hall and Baekhyun shook his head shortly, even if on his lips there was a small smile.  
Finally he could sit down for five minute and eat something, watching the guests dancing around and Chanyeol speaking with Jondae’s parents.  
Apparently they weren’t happy in seeing their son to Chanyeol’s wedding but Chanyeol said that whatever it may happen, he and Jondae were friends and there wasn’t any chance that he wouldn’t invite his friend to his own wedding.  
Baekhyun somehow admired Chanyeol.  
Because he wasn’t reckless and disrespectful as he could think when he first met him.  
He was following his life and what he wanted from his life, which was different from what his parents wanted him to do.  
But different didn’t mean wrong.  
So Chanyeol was still following his artistical passion being, as Baekhyun came to know only recently, a remarkable music producer and artist.  
He played several instruments, he was also writing lyrics for his own songs or other artists.  
Chanyeol was cheeky and sometimes also insolent, but it wasn’t just because he wanted to put a shame on his parents or because he was in his revolutionary era.  
It was because he firmly wanted to be who he wanted even though being prince of a whole country.  
And Baekhyun admired this courage.  
Because if someone had to ask Baekhyun what do you want to be in your life? is reply would be the same he always gave in his life, but was it really his choice?  
Or was it because for all his life his parent taught him that that was the right thing?  
“Are you okay?” Jondae asked him sitting beside him and munching a rice cake.  
Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Just a bit tired, but I suppose it’s normal?” he asked back and Jondae nodded.  
There was a small silence before Jondae spoke again.  
“Chanyeol came to me last night” he stated and Baekhyun hummed briefly.  
So something happened that night.  
“He didn’t mean to offend you, you know?” he continued and Baekhyun was perplexed, before humming again.  
“You mean for the fact that he can’t stand me because I’m fake and he want to punch me? I’m not offended. He’s right” he objected and Jondae’s eyes went wider in astonishment.  
“Did he really tell you like this? I think he was exaggerating things. And come on we both know that you are not like that” Jondae commented, frowning but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“He did, but that’s fine. As I told you, I know he’s right. Accommodating, obliging are all terms that suit me pretty well, no?” he asked him sitting up and sighing shortly.  
“Even if I wouldn’t like him to punch me” he concluded, forcing a tired smile.  
Jondae sat up too, wanting to tell him something but Baekhyun’s mother neared them.  
“Baekhyun-ha!” she called him and Baekhyun’s stare went immediately in her direction.  
“Mother, please let me introduce a friend, living in Chanyeol-si’s same building, Kim Jondae” he whispered softly, bowing toward his mother and Jondae hinted a small bow too.  
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, queen Byun” Jondae added and Baekhyun’s mother nodded shortly.  
“Same here” she replied but her tone was somehow forced in Baekhyun’s ears.  
“Dear, your father and King Park are waiting for you for a small informal press conference” she stated and Baekhyun raised an eyebrow.  
Small and informal didn’t go along with press conference.  
Not in his parents’ mind.  
“It’s unexpected” he commented but his mother shook her head.  
“What’s the difference? You don’t want them to wait, right?” she asked him and Baekhyun’s eyes searched the room for Chanyeol who was speaking with a man wearing an horrible suit.  
“Should I call also…” he started but when his mother shook her head, Baekhyun hummed in thought.  
“I think it’s better if I…” he tried again, earning a glare from his mother.  
“You don’t have to think. Go and do what you are supposed to do” she stated and Baekhyun hummed again, slightly bowing toward Jondae and his mother before following his father toward the site of the press conference.  
It wasn’t nor small nor informal.  
It was huge, with a lot of journalists and flashes and Baekhyun remembered the one when he announced that he would take over Byun Principality’s economy and finance sector.  
Only like three times bigger.  
“Prince Byun, what do you think about this marriage? You are already in charge of Economy in your country, do you plan to take over the place also here?” one journalist suddenly asked over the whole bustle.  
Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“I would never do it. Park Dukedom is still a foreign territory to me and I don’t know it as well as Byun Principality” he replied formally and the same journalist asked again.  
“What about in few years? When you will be settled better in Park Dukedom?”.  
Baekhyun wanted to reply, but King Park took the word.  
“It’s exactly what we plan to do. Prince Byun is respected for his competence in Economy and Finance world. So in few years I’m sure he will manage both countries with ease and harmony” he stated, earning a stupefied gasp from the audience, and Baekhyun had to force himself to remain impassible.  
What was even that discourse?  
He never heard about managing Park Dukedom Economy and Finance!  
What about Chanyeol?  
Did someone ask him something?  
Did he know about it?  
“Prince Byun, how do you feel about this revelation?” the same journalist asked and Baekhyun shook briefly his head.  
“I…” he started but another journalist interrupted him.  
“We know it’s a big thing and we are not speaking about now, but in the future. How will you fell about it?” he asked him and Baekhyun had to reply.  
He had to tell something.  
The same thing he was forced to say every time something like that happened.  
“It would be an honor” he whispered, feeling those words so heavy on his tongue and in his stomach.  
Chanyeol had all the rights in being disgusted by him.  
Baekhyun forced his best smile until the end of the conference and when it ended, he almost ran to the closest restroom.  
He closed the door behind him, leaning on it and try to steady his breathing.  
It was years since he didn’t feel so bad after a press conference.  
Being around Chanyeol, Jondae and Sehun, reawakened up some feelings, doubts, thoughts that he thought he buried so deep and so far in the back of his mind that he thought they would never saw light and fresh air again.  
Yet, there he was.  
Leaning on the back of a restroom door, feeling like he just cheated to the lottery, winning an unwanted yet expensive prize, stealing it to someone that deserved it more than him.  
It took ten minutes of staring blankly at the ceiling before he could function properly again.  
He washed his hands with ice cold water and, after wiping them, he put them on his cheeks, breathing in at the sensation.  
It was already done.  
Whatever may happen, it would be the same.  
He pushed back all those unwanted feelings to the depth of his mind again and then he returned to the hall.  
He tried to be as invisible as possible, talking only if prompted.  
What would it be better to do?  
Tell it to Chanyeol?  
Wait for him to bring it up?  
Ignore it?  
The rest of the evening went away without him even meeting Chanyeol and, somehow, it was fine like this.  
When it came the moment to go home, Chanyeol took his hand and pull him toward another direction respect when the guests where going.  
“Where are we going?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol didn’t reply, just silently guided him through corridors that Baekhyun hadn’t seen before.  
“Look what I found” he whispered in the end and they exited on a rear garden with a big pond, filled of flowers and fireflies.  
Baekhyun’s eyes widened in surprise.  
It was beautiful, almost magical.  
“Chanyeol, what…” he started but Chanyeol’s stare went on him, making him shut up immediately.  
He was strangely serious and he took also Baekhyun’s other hand in his.  
“I am sorry about yesterday. I lashed out my frustration on you” he stated softly.  
Baekhyun bended down his head, shortly.  
“You don’t have to. You are right, so it was okay for you to…” he started but Chanyeol gripped harder on his hands.  
“I’m not. You are more than that” he stated and Baekhyun felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.  
He felt tired and that press conference came in the wrong moment, giving him feelings he didn’t want.  
And Chanyeol was being strangely sweet and almost caring?  
“You don’t have to worry, I’m fine and I didn’t take it like an offence” he whispered and before Chanyeol could add something, he force a small smile.  
“Can we go home, now? I’m exhausted…” he added and Chanyeol nodded shortly, walking back toward the parking.  
They went back in silence and even when they reached home, they went to each own bedroom.  
Baekhyun took off his jacket slowly.  
He felt tired, exhausted and there was something wrong.  
He didn’t want to lie to Chanyeol, not on the matter regarding the press conference.  
After rolling up his sleeve he went to the living room, decided to go and tell Chanyeol about it.  
He was about to knock on the door when he heard him speak with someone on the phone.  
Baekhyun backed off immediately, not wanting to overhear what he was saying.  
Maybe that one wasn’t the right moment, but he was more than decided to tell him about that.

  
Unfortunately, it seemed like every time wasn’t the right one, since packing and flight came in.  
He was so taken with everything that he almost forgot about it, remembering it only in the middle of the night of their departure day.  
Travelling took out the best of Chanyeol.  
From the morning he was excited and active.  
He wouldn’t stop speaking about how long he wanted to go to Hawaii and try scuba diving and so on.  
Baekhyun smiled softly all the way to the airport and also during check-in for the luggage.  
He was genuinely happy to see him like that.  
He almost seemed like a child, so ecstatic and hyped.  
They took a private flight and Chanyeol slept for the most of it, leaving Baekhyun with his thoughts and burdens.  
When they arrived, Chanyeol was even more hyped than before, probably after the recharging nap during the flight.  
The hotel was in a word: opulent.  
So huge and rich and expensive only at the sight and Baekhyun almost felt uneasy.  
Their parents didn’t mind the expenses and went all in.  
They reserved a suite at the higher floor with sea view.  
Once in, Baekhyun couldn’t hide his astonishment.  
“It’s…” he started but Chanyeol was already walking around looking at everything and putting Baekhyun’s attention on different things.  
Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“Why don’t we change and go see the ocean?” he asked him and Chanyeol beamed in reply already opening the luggage.  
Chanyeol changed at lightspeed and gave all his belongings to Baekhyun, in the eventuality he would jump in the water without double thinking about his phone, wallet or whatever else he could have in his pockets.  
Baekhyun took everything and store them in his small bag.  
“Let’s go!” Chanyeol exclaimed and Baekhyun nodded following him.  
Neither the time to reach the beach, and Chanyeol was already running toward the sea, leaving Baekhyun at the shadow of a tall palm tree.  
He walked around a bit, always checking where Chanyeol was, and taking some photos of the place, the water and so on to share with Jondae and Sehun.  
He was sending the picture of the ocean to Jondae when two bulky tanned guys neared him.  
“Hey there, you alone?” they asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“No, I’m here with my husband” he replied softly nodding toward where Chanyeol was swimming.  
It was strange as definition, but that was it and it was clear that those two guys had some ill intentions.  
“Oh, really? And he left you all alone here?” one of them ask him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“He will be back immediately” he replied softy, hoping it would be true.  
Not because he was scared but because he didn’t want things ending up in a row way.  
He was more than capable to defend for himself, but he would gladly avoid it.  
“You don’t mind us waiting and chatting with you in the meanwhile, then?” the other added and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“Actually, I do. Your presence makes me feel uncomfortable” he replied and they wanted to add something but Chanyeol magically appeared from the ocean, drenched from head to toes, droplet running from his hair down to his neck and disappearing in his t-shirt that, being that wet, stuck to his body, revealing a toned muscles and abs that Baekhyun wouldn’t expect.  
He looked handsome and Baekhyun could hardly take away his stare from his figure.  
“Everything’s fine?” he asked him, immediately nearing him.  
“Yeah, they were just asking some directions” he replied and Chanyeol nodded shortly, leaning in and kissing the top of his head, making Baekhyun blush.  
“You are drenched. Let me pick up a towel for you” he started but Chanyeol hold his hand.  
“No worries, I’ll dry up eventually” he replied softly but Baekhyun shook his head producing a hair towel from his bag.  
“At least the hair?” Baekhyun insisted and Chanyeol took it.  
The men that approached Baekhyun walked away and Chanyeol’s stare was worried.  
“Are you okay? Did they…?” he started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I’m fine, thank you. You arrive at the right moment” he replied softly, earning a small smile from Chanyeol.  
There was a small silence and then Chanyeol apologize.  
“You don’t have too, it’s not your fault” he replied softly but Chanyeol shook his head and proposed him to go and eat something.  
They ate in silence and Chanyeol was looking at his phone for something when he suddenly frowned.  
“What the fuck?” he asked, stare going immediately to Baekhyun who raised his eyebrow.  
Chanyeol turned his phone toward Baekhyun, showing an article about the press conference.  
Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
“What the hell does this mean? Why I didn’t know nothing?” he asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I tried to tell you about it these past days. And I didn’t know nothing about it either” he replied honestly but Chanyeol was angry.  
“But you went there. Why didn’t you call me? My figure became so useless that it’s irrelevant if I am there or not?” he asked and Baekhyun bit his lip.  
“I wanted to, but my mother…” he started and Chanyeol clicked his tongue in irritation.  
“When your mother is in these things then nothing good come up” he stated and Baekhyun sighed again.  
“Chanyeol, I’m sorry…” he tried again but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“And you even replied that it would be an honor. An honor?” he continued and Baekhyun cringed.  
“I had to” he replied and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“No, you hadn’t. I’m so tired of these things and your compliance” he retorted and Baekhyun inhaled deeply before replying.  
“I don’t even know why you make a big deal about it. You don’t even care about your country, let alone his economical parts” he spat out and Chanyeol’s eyes went wider in astonishment.  
“Oh, so that’s what you think and this is your main problem? Perfect” he concluded sitting up and walking away, leaving Baekhyun alone.  
Baekhyun sighed deeply, fingers carding through his hair and pulling behind, in exasperation.  
He went back to the hotel, finding the room empty.  
He didn’t know what to do in that moment.  
Because whatever option came to his mind, wasn’t good for a whole set of problems.  
So he simply sat at the table near the window and started working at his laptop.  
Whatever could distract him.

  
Baekhyun didn’t see Chanyeol for the rest of their trip to Hawaii.  
He waited for him the night and when he didn’t come, he wrote him some messages to which Chanyeol replied with a simple I’ll be there on the day back. No need to worry.  
But Baekhyun was worried.  
And he felt a complete stranger in that place so distant from home and with nobody to share his sensations.  
So, he simply stayed inside the hotel, working his way out of those days, exchanging night and day and eating when he wasn’t too caught up with his things to forget about it.  
It was only on the day previous their departure that Jondae wrote him a message that alerted him.  
What the hell is doing Chanyeol?  
Was the only thing that he wrote followed by several pictures of him attending a beach party, with a lot of people around him dancing and drinking.  
Baekhyun composed Chanyeol’s number without even thinking about it.  
The reply came distant, sleepy and probably hungover.  
“Yes?” he replied.  
“We had an agreement. I posed just one fucking condition to this and you couldn’t respect neither that one” he stated angry and on the other side there was a groan.  
“What the hell do you want, Baekhyun? You have no voice in this since you fucked up so royally with that shit at the press conference” he replied and Baekhyun had to contain his voice because he want to scream in the phone.  
“That wasn’t me putting shame on you and treating you like a naïve prince unaware of the rest of the world around you. It wasn’t me forcing some scandals on you while I was enjoying myself unthinkingly of what could come from my actions. It wasn’t me make you look like an idiot, hurting you just because I’m being petty on a stupid matter that it doesn’t even concern me and that I’ve never had interest into” he concluded hanging up and almost throwing his phone on the table.  
Baekhyun was so angry and so disappointed and what in the world was he thinking of when he thought that things could go fine?  
Not well, but fine.  
Baekhyun didn’t know what was best to do, so he simply closed all his luggage and flight back home.  
It was a different flight, a normal one, with regular check-in and among normal people.  
He dressed like them, with a white t-shirt, jeans, a black snapback and allergy mask.  
The only thing he didn’t change was his sunglasses because they were too comfy.  
When he checked in, the guard was perplexed seeing his passport and his name, but Baekhyun simply smiled at him.  
The flight back home was… packed.  
A lot of people in the same space, children shouting and not so gentle hostess.  
When they landed he thanked heavens he made it back safely.  
Safely retrieved his luggage and called a cab back home.  
Once in the building, he was approaching the elevator when he met the perplexed stare of Jondae.  
“Baekhyun?” he asked him, sitting up from the hall’s couch where he was sitting with Minseok.  
Baekhyun pulled down the mask and his glasses.  
“Guys, I’m back” he whispered and they immediately neared him.  
“What happened?” Jondae asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I don’t know. I just couldn’t be there anymore…” he muttered and Minseok frowned deeply.  
“Where’s Chanyeol? Should you guys be back tomorrow?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I don’t know. And yes it should be tomorrow, but I took a regular flight back home today” he replied and Jondae gasped in surprise.  
“Alone? A regular flight of so many hours? What the hell were you thinking? What if someone recognized you?” he asked him and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders.  
“Whatever. Worse that this it can’t go. I need to prepare a speech about Chanyeol’s brag before it becomes bigger than already is” he explained and Minseok shook his head.  
“Why weren’t you together?” he asked him and Baekhyun sighed again deeply.  
“Because of the press conference” he replied and Jondae frowned immediately.  
“I didn’t get to tell him before he discovered it alone. And he was angry. I objected that he never cared about it, why should he start now? And he went away. Not a signal until that photo you sent me this morning” he explained better and Jondae shook his head.  
“I can’t believe he’s such a brat” he commented and Baekhyun sighed deeply again.  
“It doesn’t matter right now” he concluded, pushing his luggage toward the elevator.  
They helped him upstairs and when in front of his apartment door, Baekhyun bowed deeply to them.  
“I…” he started feeling for a moment his voice going away.  
“I sincerely apologize for everything and thank you for you support. However, I’ll need some time alone right now. Sorry…” he whispered and they nodded leaving him with his thoughts.  
Once inside he sat on the couch and closed his eyes.  
He needed to stem the problem.  
Because they couldn’t risk a scandal so big.  
Not that time and not literally no more than a week after their wedding.  
And then an idea struck him, making him call immediately Kyungsoo.  
“Kyungsoo-si, I need you to organize for me a press conference for tomorrow morning. It doesn’t have to be big, just important enough that the most important headers are there” he stated immediately when Kyungsoo picked up the phone.  
“Baekhyun-si? Shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon?” he asked him and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“We don’t have time, please, do as I asked you and text me the details later” he concluded hanging up and preparing his speech.  
If he made the right thought and could find the right words there wouldn’t be any scandal.  
Kyungsoo confirmed the press conference two hours later, and Baekhyun wrote his speech all the night away.  
At nine am, the morning after, he was dressed in a dark blue suit, waiting outside for the conference room.  
He inhaled deeply before pushing the door open.  
Go, Byun, go big or go home.  
He walked until the seats and smiled at the camera and journalists.  
“Thank you for coming here with such a short notice” he started and there were already questions.  
“It’s about your husband play around while you were on you honeymoon” a journalist started.  
Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“He wasn’t playing around. My husband is a famous and estimated producer. He went at that beach party as deejay, not for playing around” he replied softly smiling.  
“So you are not jealous of the fact that he was working between all those girls and boys?” another journalist asked him and Baekhyun opened in another small smile.  
“Is your partner jealous of you?” he asked back, making the journalist’s eyes go wider and shook his head.  
“You are also working between men and women your age and taste” Baekhyun added gesturing toward the other journalists present in the room.  
“You have your reply” he concluded, declaring the subject closed.  
“I called you here today for a whole another matter. As many of you already know, King Park ask me in the future to take a leading role in managing Park Dukedom Economy and Finance sector” he started again and he knew that in the same moment he would pronounce the following sentence he would have the wrath of his parents and probably also Parks, including Chanyeol.  
“And I want to formally and finally reply to this matter. I am ready in whatever moment, since the administration of Economy and Finance in Park Dukedom has been almost inexistent from at least ten years” he stated, earning himself a mess of reaction in the room.  
“Prince Byun, what do you mean with this?” a journalist asked him and Baekhyun showed them a beautiful smirk.  
“That everyone could do a better job that the one in charge right now. And I’ve already prepared a quinquennial plan for fixing problems and lift the economy of this country” he replied directly and the journalist was speechless.  
There was a small silence before he could sit up and bow shortly toward them.  
“Thank you for you time and patience. Have a good day” he concluded walking out.  
Nothing in the world would make more noise than a scandal than a bigger scandal.  
And what was better if not Baekhyun admitting publicly that he was ready to take over whoever was in charge of Economy and Finance in Park Dukedom?  
Nothing.  
It was tiring and could not work, but it went fine.  
Baekhyun went with Minseok’s suggestion what seemed to be a life away.  
Treat it like economy.  
Baekhyun was involuntarily colder and more direct when he was speaking about economy and finance.  
And so he did.  
Baekhyun could not know a lot of things, could be a naïve, unprepared prince on a lot of things, but not on this.  
And on this he will fight.  
There were a lot of ways to start a revolution.  
And Baekhyun was ready to make one.  
Toward his parents, the Parks and Chanyeol too.  
He walked back instead of taking a taxi or calling Kyungsoo and when he arrived on the building, once again he met Jondae with a lot of bags in his arms.  
“Heavens, Baek, I listened to your press conference!” he almost yelled putting all the bags on the floor.  
Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“Uh, I don’t want to know what you shook with this move!” he added taking Baekhyun’s hands in his.  
“I kind of know it, actually. And in both cases, I’m screwed. But what’s matter it’s that they have someone to speak about right now” he concluded and Jondae frowned a bit.  
“It was for avoiding Chanyeol’s scandal?” he asked perplexed and Baekhyun nodded.  
“I wouldn’t even dream of saying something like that otherwise” he replied and Jondae’s stare was worried.  
“Baek…” he started but Baekhyun smiled at him softly.  
“No need to worry. I’ll be fine, somehow” he concluded picking up some bags and helping his friend to bring them home.  
There was a small silence and when they were in front of Jondae’s apartment, he spoke up again.  
“Last night Chanyeol wrote me asking me if you came home” he stated and Baekhyun nodded.  
“I didn’t want him to worry too much, so I told him that you were here” he added and Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“There is no problem, Jondae. Even though I think he’s not worried. He just wanted to know if he had to denounce my disappearance to the Honolulu police or not” he joked but Jondae slightly slapped him on his arm.  
“Idiot. I don’t know why but he cares about you” he whispered and Baekhyun never shook his head so quickly.  
“He doesn’t. There was just a thing that I asked him and he didn’t respect neither that one. And he never failed to remember me how he doesn’t stand me at all. So, no, I don’t think he cares about me in the slightest” he concluded but Jondae was already shaking his head.  
“He has some weird ways to show his affection, Baekhyun. But I’m sure that all of this is just a misunderstanding. Even if it still was petty and stupid of him going to that party” he concluded and Baekhyun pressed his lips together, nodding shortly.  
He went upstairs and when he opened the door he found it unlocked.  
He frowned and entered.  
It was too early for Chanyeol’s return.  
“No worries, I’m already here” Sehun’s voice came from the living room and Baekhyun smiled softly, relaxing immediately.  
Sehun shortly waved at him.  
“Yeah, yeah, bye. See you when you took your luggage” he concluded hanging up the phone.  
“Sehunnie!” Baekhyun exclaimed and Sehun almost run to hug him tightly.  
“What are you doing here?” he asked him and Sehun embraced him tighter at the question.  
“Let’s sit on the couch” he replied and Baekhyun nodded.  
Baekhyun sat down and Sehun almost laid down, using Baekhyun’s laps as pillow.  
Baekhyun snorted, starting caressing Sehun’s hair, finally relaxing a bit.  
The whole day seemed to be weighting only in that moment.  
“I read about your conference” he stated and Baekhyun hummed.  
“I didn’t think you would be interested in it” he replied and Sehun chuckled.  
“You know, it’s quite a rumor when a foreign prince comes in your country telling you that he does your job better than you” he added and Baekhyun laughed briefly.  
“Was I too direct? Too rude?” he asked him again and Sehun snuggled his cheek on Baekhyun’s lap.  
“They deserve it. You did good” was the muffled reply.  
“Are you tired? Want to sleep a bit?” Baekhyun asked him, gently stroking his head but Sehun shook his head.  
“No, your touch is so gentle that I could sleep, but no thank you” he replied softly.  
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked again and Sehun shook his head immediately.  
There was a small silence and then Baekhyun spoke up.  
“Why are you here?” he asked and Sehun hummed.  
“Chanyeol asked me to go and fetch him at the airport, but I don’t think I will go” he whispered and in that very instant his phone rang.  
He replied even without looking, knowing that it was from Chanyeol.  
“I can’t move right now. Hyunnie is giving me the most relaxing treatment I’ve ever received” he stated at the phone and when Chanyeol replied, he shook his head on Baekhyun’s lap.  
“No, you don’t understand because you are a rude husband. Now took that damn cab and come home” he concluded hanging up.  
Baekhyun huffed a laugh.  
“Was he angry?” he asked and Sehun shook his head.  
“No, only stupid” he replied and Baekhyun chuckled softly but he found himself defending Chanyeol.  
“He’s probably tired…” Baekhyun whispered but Sehun shook his head again.  
“Why are you defending him? He was awful toward you!” he asked him and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
“Because I don’t know. There must be something else I’m missing. I’m still angry at him. But also Jondae told me that he has weird ways to show his affection” he replied and Sehun hummed shortly.  
“Indeed he has. Because his parents never actually were able to give him proper affection and love. It’s also one of the reasons why he keeps fooling around without getting serious with nobody” he added and Baekhyun didn’t know what to say.  
Because, after all, what did he know about Chanyeol?  
They stayed like that in silence when the front door opened and Chanyeol entered pulling his luggage.  
“What a friend! Leaving me alone at the airport!” he exclaimed but stared at both of them perplexed seeing the scene of Baekhyun caressing Sehun’s hair.  
“Just for some caresses?” he asked him but Sehun grunted in return.  
“Because you never tried, probably” he replied softly.  
There was a small silence and for the first time since almost a week, Baekhyun met Chanyeol’s stare.  
“I have two laps and two hands if you want” he whispered and Chanyeol nodded, mimicking Sehun’s position but on the other side.  
Baekhyun started stroking also Chanyeol’s hair, gently, softly and for a second he thought that he was purring at the gentle ministrations.  
They stayed in silence for a while more before Sehun sighed deeply.  
“I hate it, but I have to go” he whispered and Baekhyun patted his shoulder gently.  
“Do your best, Sehunnie” Baekhyun added and Chanyeol murmured a feeble “Fighting”.  
He greeted them and went away leaving them alone.  
Baekhyun kept stroking Chanyeol’s hair even after long that Sehun went away.  
Suddenly, Chanyeol spoke up.  
“I was worried” he stated and Baekhyun hummed softly.  
“I don’t want to start a fight, but you are the one who left” he noted making Chanyeol frown deeply.  
“I know and I’m sorry about it” was the small reply.  
Baekhyun sighed softly.  
“It’s not like you have to justify it with me. We are both adult enough, I suppose” he stated and without leaving Chanyeol time to reply he started speaking again.  
“And before you know it from someone else, I had a press conference today. I stated openly that I’m ready whenever they want to take the role of managing Economy and Finance in Park Dukedom” he stated and Chanyeol sat up, staring at him perplexed.  
“You what?” he echoed, astonishment clear in his eyes.  
“I told everyone that your minister sucks” he replied and Chanyeol’s eyes went even wider at Baekhyun’s words.  
“Why would you?” he asked him and Baekhyun diverged his stare from Chanyeol, feeling again the anger mounting up.  
“Because of your… outing at that party” he whispered and Chanyeol laid down again on Baekhyun’s lap, groaning.  
“I’m so sorry” he whispered and Baekhyun pressed his lips forming a thin line.  
“You being sorry is not enough. And you probably don’t realize what this pressconference meant. If things won’t go well, probably you won’t have anything to do with me anymore” he stated relaxing his head on the back of the couch.  
That conference could mean only two things.  
Him actually taking that place because he could but being hated by almost the ninety-nine percent of Park Dukedom’s population.  
Or him failing miserably and having to go home for defamation and embezzlement.  
And he wasn’t so confident that King Park wanted him to stay after those statements.  
Chanyeol shook his head.  
“If you are about to tell me that I’m an idiot, please spare me. I know it too well by now” Baekhyun stopped him and Chanyeol chuckled.  
“You know me oh so well” he stated but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I don’t know anything of you” was the small sentence that he managed, finally realizing the weight of his decision.  
If King Park would have sent him back to home, he would never meet again Jondae and Sehun.  
And Chanyeol.  
It would mean also not having respected the terms previewed and losing his place as ruler of Byun Principality.  
In a single move he could lose everything just to cover up that idiocy.  
And here he was, stroking Chanyeol’s hair instead of being angry with him and telling him how he couldn’t stand him.  
How idiot he was.  
He could have done or said whatever reason and he would have the right to tell it.  
However, he simply stayed there, caressing Chanyeol’s hair and waiting for his end to come.  
“Why did you cover up what I did?” he asked him and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders.  
“Why not? It was the only thing I could do” he replied but Chanyeol wasn’t happy with the reply.  
“I won’t accept it this time, Baekhyun” he insisted but Baekhyun shook his head.  
He did it for that small warm feeling that remained even after days they kissed for the wedding.  
He did it for the weight on his ring fingers.  
He did it because somewhere inside he wanted to trust Chanyeol.  
He did it because… yes.  
But he wasn’t willing to share them with Chanyeol.  
Baekhyun shook his head, hand halting on Chanyeol’s hair.  
“I won’t say it because it doesn’t matter. Please refrain from doing it again, though” he concluded and Chanyeol sat up staring at him angrily.  
“Why you don’t want to speak about it?” he asked him and Baekhyun shook his head  
“Because it doesn’t matter anymore. Everything is solved and that’s what important” he stated and Chanyeol made the gesture to take his hand but Baekhyun sat up.  
“You don’t have to worry. Just don’t do it anymore” he concluded walking away and feeling again the tears prickling at the corners of his eyes.  
He almost was in his room, when Chanyeol took his hand, forcing him to turn toward him.  
“Stop running away from me” he whispered and again like that evening at the sushi restaurant, Chanyeol’s resonated deeply inside Baekhyun.  
He was so… attracted to it.  
It was soft and yet deep and Baekhyun wondered what it would be of him if he would be able to hear it every day.  
“I’m not running. I’m just…” he started but Chanyeol pushed a finger on Baekhyun’s lips.  
“Hiding? You prefer? Stop doing it. Are you angry with me? Tell me. Are you tired? Afraid? Speak to me” he whispered again and Baekhyun sighed deeply.  
“Why would I? So that we can play friend a bit more and then one day you take offense for something that never mattered to you and make your assumptions about me and my behavior? No, thank you. I prefer you hating me and avoiding me” he replied staring icily at him, making Chanyeol’s eyes widen in perplexity.  
“You…” he started but Baekhyun shook his head again.  
“I prefer if you always avoid me. Don’t pretend to care when you don’t. There’s no one here apart of us, you don’t have to pretend” he stated and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I’m not…” Chanyeol tried again but this time it was Baekhyun’s fingers which slightly brushed on Chanyeol’s lips.  
“Please. Let me alone, won’t you? You don’t need me and maybe you were right from the start and I’m an idiot whose only role is pretending. So don’t waste your time with me, I’m not worth it” he concluded softly smiling, clearly feeling his eyes watering.  
However, contrary to his expectations, Chanyeol caressed his cheeks pressing a kiss on his forehead.  
He felt the blush blooming on his cheeks.  
“W-What was this for…?” he asked him and Chanyeol sighed shortly.  
“Every idiocy you say you will get a gesture of affection” he explained and Baekhyun wanted to interject but Chanyeol stopped him.  
“I thought a lot these days, and I’m really sorry for being an ass up until now especially in what was supposedly be our time together” he added and Baekhyun wanted to objected even in that but Chanyeol pressed a hand on his lips, stopping him.  
“I care about you, Baekhyun, I really do and I promise you l want this thing to go in the right direction. I was serious when I told you that I want you to be an ally and that we can walk in this together” he added and Baekhyun hummed.   
“I have my conditions this time, though” Chanyeol added and Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“I want you to speak with me. About everything. I want to know if you are not okay with something” he started and Baekhyun shook shortly his head.  
“I…” he started but Chanyeol shook his head too.  
“I don’t care. You have to. Because I’m not you and our worlds always were too different. So speak to me” he concluded and it was final.  
“Whatever it may pass through your head” he concluded and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Are you angry right? About what happened” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun sighed before nodding shortly.  
“It was petty, stupid, unmotivated and risky” he spat out and Chanyeol cringed shortly but accepted Baekhyun’s words.  
“For nothing most of all! Because that press conference was a farce and I tried to tell my mother and your father that I wanted you there, but they refused because, who cares about a prince who doesn’t even know how things go in his country? And my word value nothing” he continued and immediately adding: “Like I knew something about it even more! I just sat there and when your father stated that he wanted me to take that place since I was oh so good for my country I was dumbfounded!”.  
He inhaled sharply trying to steady his breath and then spoke again, this time more calmly, tone again composed.  
“And when Jondae sent me those pictures I felt disappointed. Because even in this farce I’ve always tried to respect you and your actions even when I didn’t share them. But you didn’t. Not when the only thing I asked in all of this was not to create scandals that could bring misery both to us and our family” he whispered, feeling again like the morning before.  
So dejected and resigned.  
Chanyeol wanted to speak but Baekhyun stopped him.  
“Whatever you want to tell me, don’t. I thought you really wanted us to go in the same direction, even not having the same feelings and…” he started but then he shook his head.  
“Why am I even talking to you about these things? For you it’s still something you have to do because otherwise your parents won’t pay for your things, no?” he sighed and Chanyeol frowned.  
“Maybe it was at start, but now it’s different” he retorted and Baekhyun nodded.  
“Sure” he concluded stiffly and Chanyeol kissed the top of his head.  
Baekhyun blushed again, hand pushing on Chanyeol’s torso to distance him.  
“And this?” he asked but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I told you. One for any idiocy” he commented and Baekhyun huffed in exasperation.  
“So that I know that you care about me?” he asked back making Chanyeol nod shortly.  
There was a small silence.  
“Can I do the same?” he asked again and Chanyeol frowned.  
“Everything good you do, though. Because you make already too many idiocies” he added immediately and Chanyeol exploded in a soundly laugh.  
“Let’s try it” he concluded and Baekhyun hummed softly.  
“Now joke aside, please, please consider your, our, situation in all of this. If you need to go and enjoy yourself, please do, but with discretion” he whispered and Chanyeol frowned shortly.  
“Enjoy myself?” he echoed and Baekhyun sighed, blush blooming again on his cheeks.  
“Yeah, how do you say when you want just to spend the night with someone?” he asked embarrassed and Chanyeol replied immediately with “fuck around”.  
“How rude” Baekhyun commented making Chanyeol smile shortly.  
“It’s been a while actually” he added and Baekhyun hummed softly, unable to meet Chanyeol’s stare.  
It’s not like he was jealous or other things.  
Just the idea of Chanyeol fucking around, got him bothered.  
Maybe he could ask Jondae or Sehun what did that mean.  
“Please, be careful whatever you may do” Baekhyun concluded and Chanyeol ruffled Baekhyun’s hair, earning a yip.  
“Chanyeol!” he exclaimed but Chanyeol was smiling so widely at him that Baekhyun’s world stopped moving for a second.  
Nothing else existed if not Chanyeol and his bright smile.  
And the warm fluttering feelings was once again in his chest, making him blush.  
The soft moment was interrupted by Baekhyun’s phone ringtone.  
He sighed deeply at the caller ID.  
It was from his mother.  
“It’s your mother?” Chanyeol asked him and he sighed again, nodding.  
“I don’t want to take this call” he whispered, but he was already accepting it.  
“Good morning, mother. How are you feeling today?” he started neutral but his mother was already on the warpath.  
“How is it going? Byun Baekhyun how dare you!” she shouted on the phone and the surname plus name combo told him that she was really angry.  
“You made a press conference, alone, telling that awful things about Park Dukedom’s finance minister!” she continued.  
“He’s an incompetent, mother” he stated but it was a pallid reaction.  
“I don’t care, Baekhyun! You know that if King Park decide that you crossed the line, we, you are out of this? And you know what does this mean to Byun Principality?” she continued and Baekhyun closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.  
Suddenly he felt Chanyeol’s hands caressing his shoulder, massaging gently his shoulder blades and back of his neck.  
It was warm and relaxing.  
“I care, instead. Because if it’s possible to do something in order to lift up Park Dukedom’s economy, I’m more than willing to do it. And if King Park doesn’t see how useless it was his minister’s plan until now, it’s my duty to suggest a different thing” he stated, voice firm.  
Like it was economy, he repeated in his head.  
“What get into you head? What if he took offense?” she stated and Baekhyun sighed.  
“Mother, you know as much as I do that there’s nothing I can’t do when it’s this kind of things. My tone was too harsh probably, but he knows I’m right” he replied and there was a small silence from the other side of the phone.  
“Seriously, what happened? You changed…” she started saying and Baekhyun sighed shortly.  
“I just want to take the best out of this marriage. Both for Byun Principality and Park Dukedom. And if my work can be useful for them too, why not?” he concluded and she was speechless.  
So she just thanked him and asked him to keep her informed on any other development.  
Chanyeol’s fingers was still massaging his shoulders, making him sigh again.  
“Everything’s fine?” Chanyeol asked him, voice nearer than expected and making Baekhyun almost flinch.  
“Yeah, hopefully” he replied, relaxing under Chanyeol’s gentle touch.  
“Thank you” he whispered softly, turning around and shortly hugging him.  
It was just a second, probably Chanyeol didn’t even had the time to register it as hug but for Baekhyun was a small gesture of affection.  
“That was my compensation for being good?” he asked and Baekhyun nodded shortly, making him smile again widely.  
There was a small silence and then Chanyeol smiled again.  
“Are you up to eat something? I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday dinner” he stated and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Did you already have something in mind?” he asked him and Chanyeol nodded.  
“Lead the way then” he concluded shortly.

  
Days started to pass and finally, finally, Baekhyun had the hunch that things were going in the right direction.  
King Park decided that indeed Baekhyun’s plan was way better than the current one and contrary to Baekhyun’s expectation, he gave him the role to manage Park Dukedom’s economy and finance.  
Baekhyun was glad about it because he truly knew that he could do something about it, but still now he had two countries completely different in a whole set of aspects to manage.  
He also managed to speak both with Sehun and Jondae about that warm feeling he felt when Chanyeol was too close or when he gave him those small gestures of affection.  
Both Jondae and Sehun gave him an alarming news.  
Apparently, he was in love with Chanyeol.  
“Love?” he echoed the first time that Jondae mentioned it, tone surprised and incredulous.  
“Love?” he echoed when also Sehun told him, this time tone resigned and dejected.  
Being in love with Park Chanyeol wasn’t easy.  
Not when Baekhyun convinced himself for months that he wouldn’t fall in love with anyone, especially not Park Chanyeol.  
He sighed softly for the hundredth time that day, taking off the glasses that he used when he stayed too much in front of the computer.  
It was already six months from their honeymoon, five from Jondae mentioning for the first time love and four since Baekhyun accepted it as a universal fact.  
He stretched his arms over his head, sighing and feeling the muscles of his back aching like being ninety years old instead of twenty-five.  
The front door opened, Chanyeol appearing and clearly in a good mood.  
He was whistling a song while holding a paper bag.  
“I’m home” he chanted and Baekhyun sat up, walking toward entry direction, meeting Chanyeol half way.  
“Welcome back. How was your day?” he asked him and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Fine, fine! I brought you this!” he stated giving him the paper bag and even before taking it, Baekhyun recognized the fragrance.  
“Principality rice cake?!” he asked him perplexed, surprised and thrilled.  
Chanyeol gave him a thumb up and Baekhyun hugged him instinctively.  
He tried to limit the displays of affection coming from his own part, but that were rice cakes!  
“Where did you find them?” he asked him opening the paper bag and sniffing the fragrance.  
“There’s a market going on, it seems like a small festival with different stands and…” he started and Baekhyun was already excited.  
“Can we go?” he asked him and Chanyeol was perplexed before opening in a bright smile, caressing Baekhyun’s head.  
“Sure, let’s go” he replied smiling and Baekhyun started fretting about how to dress and what was better to do, when Chanyeol took his hand, stopping him.  
“You are fretting like a puppy. Whatever will be fine, you can come also like this” he stated and Baekhyun nodded, blushing softly at the puppy mentioning, going to retrieve a jacket.  
“Baekhyun, better to take the umbrella?” Chanyeol asked him and he hummed shortly, staring outside.  
“At least one? I don’t think it will rain and we will be outside just a few” he replied, going again in the living room and Chanyeol nodded taking an umbrella.  
He followed Chanyeol until the market which indeed seemed to be like a festival more than other things.  
Baekhyun was excited like a boy because in Byun Principality, festivals were an ordinary thing and there were different for all the most variety.  
Not that Baekhyun went to them often.  
He had to hide from his mother to go and it was one of the few moments he had of total freedom.  
Chanyeol followed him, fascinated by such a different behavior from Baekhyun.  
They played different attraction and Chanyeol won for him a corgi plush.  
They ate outside something typical of another region near Park Dukedom and bought cotton candy.  
Baekhyun just finished his second cotton candy when he started drizzling.  
Chanyeol opened the umbrella and they both fitted under it, walking toward home.  
It almost felt like a date, even if Baekhyun never went to one.  
Still, the realization hit him hard and made his smile dim a bit.  
The small drizzle became suddenly a downpour and they had to run home because the only umbrella they had wouldn’t be enough for both.  
When they reached their building, they were soaked.  
“Luckily that you said that it wouldn’t rain?” Chanyeol objected and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
“I’m sorry…” he whispered when they got in front of the elevator.  
“I enjoyed it, also the rain” Chanyeol stated softly and Baekhyun pressed his lips together in a thin line.  
They entered the elevator that closed the door behind them.  
“Still…” Baekhyun started and Chanyeol pushed a finger on his lips.  
“Did you enjoy it?” he asked and Baekhyun nodded softly.  
“Then it’s fine like this” Chanyeol concluded leaning in to kiss Baekhyun’s forehead.  
Baekhyun blushed at the gesture and at the proximity that was closer, almost intimate.  
As if it wasn’t sufficient, Chanyeol was only wearing a white shirt that got completely drenched in the downpour, sticking to his skin and showed without any doubt how Chanyeol was beneath it.  
And Baekhyun realized that he liked what he was seeing way too much that was consented.  
When he forced his stare on Chanyeol’s face, he realized that he was staring at him too.  
“I…” Baekhyun started and Chanyeol leant even closer, entering definitely Baekhyun’s personal space.  
“I…” Baekhyun tried again but the elevator pinged, making the door slide open, letting someone in, so they both distanced immediately.  
The floor where they stopped was the tenth and indeed the person in the elevator was Jondae.  
“Guys, you are soaked. They said that it would be raining tonight” he stated, even if his stare was fixed on Chanyeol, perplexed.  
“It’s my fault. I wanted to exit and said that just one umbrella would be fine” Baekhyun stated, lifting his hand.  
Jondae laughed shortly.  
“So typical of you. It was on every news, you were working all afternoon today too?” he asked Baekhyun who nodded shortly.  
“There’s something that I have to solve. I’m almost there but not yet. I was up also tonight because it’s keeping me awake” he replied, earning a scolding stare from both Jondae and Chanyeol.  
“You should sleep more? What does Sehun said?” Jondae asked him and Baekhyun sighed softly.  
“That my back is stiff and I’m getting fat” he replied, puffing up his cheeks.  
Jondae laughed again and Chanyeol frowned.  
“Sehun? When did you see him?” he asked him and Baekhyun smiled.  
“This morning? Every day I go and eat breakfast there” he replied softly and Jondae nodded shortly.  
“And he said that your back is stiff?” he asked him again and Baekhyun sighed.  
“He didn’t simply say it. He massaged some parts of my back that was hurting a lot recently” he replied nodding.  
Chanyeol frowned unhappy with the reply and Baekhyun wanted to enquire further but Jondae spoke up.  
“Maybe because you are always sit at that desk?” he asked him and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
“Probably” he concluded and the elevator pinged for their floor.  
“Did you need something, Dae?” Baekhyun asked him but Jondae shook his head.  
“No actually I had to go to the zero” he replied waiving at them and disappearing behind the doors.  
They walked in silence until his door and Baekhyun opened it.  
“I’m sorry again for not…” he started but Chanyeol was already inside his personal space.  
“You don’t have to” he whispered and Chanyeol’s lips were so rose and so plump that Baekhyun wanted to pull him down and kiss him.  
But he couldn’t.  
Chanyeol was kind with him and maybe he also cared about it, but there wasn’t anything more.  
So, he simply backed off, smiling softly.  
“I will go to bed now. Thank you for you company. I appreciated it” he whispered and Chanyeol frowned shortly.  
“Are you okay? Jondae said that you are not sleeping at night for this work. And those back aches…” he started but Baekhyun smiled, pulling out his old fake smile that still worked pretty fine.  
“No worries, and for the backaches, I’m asking Sehunnie” he replied softly and Chanyeol frowned again.  
There was a small silence and then Chanyeol sighed.  
“Do you…” he started and Baekhyun waited but nothing arrived it.  
“Do I…?” he asked softly and Chanyeol sighed frustrated.  
“Nothing. It was a stupid question. Thank you for today” he concluded and Baekhyun hummed nodding shortly.  
“Good night” he concluded going to his room and earning a soft “night” from Chanyeol too.  
Once inside the room, Baekhyun immediately took a shower, hoping to wash away that sensation.  
He wanted Chanyeol to kiss him.  
And if Jondae didn’t took the elevator with them, what would have happened?  
Baekhyun tried to convince himself that nothing would happen.  
Because Chanyeol wasn’t in love with him.  
Because Chanyeol still went out some nights and Baekhyun never asked him if it was only for work or to go and see someone.  
Baekhyun didn’t even want to think about it, because… it kind of hurt him.  
So he simply pushed that feeling too at the back of his mind, hoping that they remained there like all the rest of his feelings.

  
Unfortunately, situations like that started to happen more and more frequently.  
Like returning home and finding Chanyeol wearing only a pair of definitely too tight sweatpants, water still dripping from his hair and running down his back.  
Or when Baekhyun was watching some movie on the couch, Chanyeol would join him, just to finally use his laps as pillow and having Baekhyun stroke his hair.  
And a lot of more small things that were making Baekhyun go crazy.  
“It’s because you never saw him while he works” Jondae once said him and Sehun managed to find him a ticket to go in incognito.  
Baekhyun asked Sehun to go with him and to help him chose what to wear.  
Sehun agreed, helping him shopping and prepare for that night.  
After all the preparations, Baekhyun was wearing black tight jeans and a black silky shirt.  
“Isn’t it too much?” he asked slightly embarrassed to Sehun who shook his head smiling.  
“You are perfect” he replied and Baekhyun sighed shortly.  
What in the world was he even doing?  
Clubbing wasn’t part of his nature and neither should have interested him, but curiosity got the best of him and wanted to know that part of Chanyeol too.  
They went together to the club where Chanyeol would perform that night and Baekhyun didn’t expect it all.  
Chanyeol was wearing jeans ripped on knees area and a hoodie bigger than his size.  
The music was loud but resounded deeply inside Baekhyun.  
And Chanyeol was sweaty yet he had such a sensual aura that Baekhyun couldn’t tear his eyes apart of him.  
He stayed there, staring, enthralled by what he was seeing.  
Chanyeol seemed to be so much at ease in that world that Baekhyun could be only amazed by him.  
After the first time, a lot more followed, both accompanied by Sehun or alone.  
Always without telling Chanyeol, obviously.  
He always left later than him and came back earlier than him.  
So Chanyeol didn’t have any reason to suspect anything.  
Until that night.  
Baekhyun was sitting alone to the counter of the bar, sipping on a blueberry cocktail.  
He was wearing a wine-colored silk shirt and leather trousers.  
It was before Chanyeol’s performance and he was waiting for it, when two men approached him.  
“Hey beautiful, you alone?” one asked him and he shook his head.  
“Would you mind some company?” the other continued but Baekhyun clicked his tongue.  
“I’m not in need of any company tonight. Thank you” he stated but the two men started asking him things and he didn’t know what was better to do.  
He never actually received that kind of attentions, especially not from strangers.  
“I think he said he’s not interested?” Chanyeol’s voice came in behind them, making the men turn toward the voice.  
“What do you even know?” one of them asked but Chanyeol’s eyes went wider when he recognized Baekhyun.  
“Baekhyun?” he asked and Baekhyun smiled softly, tilting his head on the side.  
Chanyeol frowned, stare worried.  
He walked toward him, stare inquiring Baekhyun’s appearance.  
“You are… different? I didn’t recognize you and I thought you had a twin brother…” he whispered and Baekhyun snorted shortly.  
“I’m a single son, you know?” he replied and Chanyeol nodded shortly, almost mechanically.  
“Still… you look so different” Chanyeol stated, making Baekhyun smile and sitting up from where he was sitting.  
“It doesn’t suit me, right?” he asked, back of his hand caressing the silk of the shirt.  
Chanyeol shook his head immediately.  
“You look pretty, actually…” he commented and Baekhyun felt a small blush on his cheeks.  
“What are you doing here?” Chanyeol asked him, neutral tone but Baekhyun could feel his stare on his too exposed neck and collarbones.  
There was a small silence and then Chanyeol sighed shortly.  
“You are checking on me, right? So that I don’t do… idiocies” he whispered, suddenly dejected but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“No, no… it’s just because Sehunnie…” he started but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“What does even Sehun matters in this?” he interjected before taking Baekhyun’s arm and nearing the back exit.  
“Listen, go home. This is not a place for you to come. I won’t do anything strange. I thought you trusted me…” he started but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“It’s not the first time I come here and it’s not because I don’t trust you…” he tried to explain again, making Chanyeol frown, stare sad.  
“So you came several time, without telling me anything? Did you come with Sehun?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun frowned shortly.  
“What’s the difference if I came with Sehunnie or not?” he retorted making Chanyeol shook his head, sighing in frustration.  
“You like Sehun, right?” he finally spat out and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider before he could shake his head shortly.  
“How can you even think about it?” he whispered and Chanyeol let out a sad laugh.  
“You are always together, always so touchy, he even brought you in a place like this” he replied tiredly.  
Baekhyun sighed too, deeply.  
“Chanyeol, it’s not like this. Sehun is my friend and I’m not romantically involved…” he started explaining but Chanyeol shook his head once again.  
“You haven’t realized it yet, probably” he continued but Baekhyun was starting to lose his temper.  
“I’m telling you it’s not like this. Because I’m already in love with someone who is not Sehun!” he blurted out, feeling immediately his cheeks getting flushed and diverging his stare from Chanyeol.  
Chanyeol was astonished, eyes wider in perplexity, incredulous.  
“You, Byun Baekhyun, prince of formalities and pleasantries are in love with someone?” he asked him, tone amused almost mocking, and to Baekhyun felt like a slap.  
To Chanyeol, he still was the same righteous and annoying prince of the first day.  
The one too good in covering up his nothing with a perfect and pleasant masquerade.  
“You are right, I shouldn’t have come” he whispered, pushing open the back door and exiting in the night air, in the parking lot, slowly walking toward the main street to take a taxi.  
Chanyeol didn’t followed him.  
And what Baekhyun was even thinking with all those night outings?  
It wasn’t part of him and it wouldn’t make him near to Chanyeol.  
Baekhyun was only the imposed husband.  
Someone Chanyeol had to stand and tried to do it in the best way, trying to be friend with him.  
Not someone Chanyeol could actually fall in love with.  
Because, as he always said, there was nothing behind the persona Baekhyun put on every day.  
He sighed tipping his shoes off when he reached home, undressing on his way to his room.  
Those clothes were stored in a deep, remote corner of the closet, hidden by anonymous countless shirts and trousers.  
“Why am I even bothered by it?” he whispered to himself, laying down to his bed and typing a long message to Sehun.

[01:59AM] To Sehunnie:  
I met Chanyeol at the club. He said it’s better if I don’t go there anymore. He also thinks that I’m in love with you. I mentioned being in love with someone else and he didn’t believe it. Because, apparently, I can’t be in love with anyone seeing how I am. Maybe he’s right and I was just deluding myself all along. Thanks for accompany me around and help me choose what to wear in these nights. I owe you. Good night.

He felt oh so tired and he just wanted to sleep.  
But sleep didn’t come.  
So he just stayed there, waiting and thinking.

  
The following days were like starting days with Chanyeol never being home and Baekhyun never leaving home.  
He used the excuse that he had to work, with was partially true, just to avoid speaking with people.  
Especially Sehun and Jondae who would have asked him more than he was ready to spill.  
He still felt somehow dejected and hurt from Chanyeol’s words and amused tone, but Chanyeol was right.  
Baekhyun had to be that Baekhyun he always was before.  
Being alone and writing almost only work related e-mails, partially brought him back to part of his old self.  
The only time he accepted Jondae’s visit, he started off with “I apologize if I didn’t prepare anything, I was still so caught up with arranging several schedules…” and Jondae sighed at the sentence.  
“It’s not good if you are home alone. You should exit more” he observed but Baekhyun forced a small smile.  
“It doesn’t matter. I’m here only because it’s right like this and I have a job to do. Nothing more” he replied offering Jondae some coffee and he sighed in reply.  
“Baek… what the hell happened with Yeol? Did he do something idiot again?” he asked him but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“No, he’s commendable” he replied making Jondae frown, scrunching his nose.  
“Does it even still exist this word?” he retorted, making Baekhyun opening in a small yet sincere smile.  
“Yeah, old fashioned but still in use” he replied but Jondae patted shortly his shoulder.  
“You should talk to Chanyeol” he whispered earning himself a sarcastic laugh from Baekhyun.  
“I won’t. I won’t bring up feelings that I’m trying so hard to repress. Not when I know that they are not reciprocate” he added, shaking his head and drinking up his coffee.  
“How do you know it?” he asked again and Baekhyun bit his bottom lip.  
“Because why should he be in love with someone like me? I’m nothing apart of my social status and my pleasantries” he asked back and Jondae’s eyes went wider in perplexity.  
“You know it’s not…” he started but Baekhyun interrupted him.  
“It is and he told me clearly too” he stated, declaring the subject close, still making Jondae’s frown growing deeper.  
Baekhyun diverged the subject on other things and after no more than half an hour, Jondae went away.  
Baekhyun sighed deeply, after closing the door.  
That was the right way.  
The only thing that could be.  
He knew that signing up for that kind of thing, following that farce of marriage, this would be the result.  
Even though he changed, he still cared about his citizens and Byun Principality, and feelings or not he wouldn’t never back off from it.

  
It took him three weeks more to met Chanyeol, casually, at home.  
It was almost November and in Park Dukedom it was rainy season.  
Baekhyun usually liked rain but that day he felt nostalgic, melancholic and a bit gloomy.  
In those days his mother was pestering him to have him come home for the end of the month, but Baekhyun was finding excuses not to go.  
He didn’t want to spend time with his mother, asking him whatever she may get in her mind and inquiring in such a delicate matter as it was his marriage.  
Baekhyun was making coffee in the kitchen, reading the news from his phone when he heard some steps coming to the kitchen.  
He raised his stare meeting Chanyeol’s after almost a month.  
“Morning” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun whispered back a greeting.  
Chanyeol’s voice was soft but it seemed to be strained, sad.  
“Are you… okay?” Baekhyun asked him, worry slightly tinting his stare.  
“Yeah. You?” he asked back and Baekhyun pressed his lips in a thin line before nodding shortly.  
“I appreciate your concern” he added and Chanyeol sighed, shaking his head.  
Baekhyun’s stare went to the floor, excuses already on his lips when Chanyeol closed the distance between them, placing a finger on Baekhyun’s lips.  
“Don’t. Will you listen to what I want to say without excusing yourself or interrupting me?” he asked him and Baekhyun’s stare was immediately on his face again.  
He nodded shortly, appreciating Chanyeol’s proximity.  
His perfume was always so enthralling and fresh.  
Baekhyun wanted to caress his hair as he did a lot of nights on the couch.  
He wanted to tell him how much he missed him in those days.  
And how much he loved him without even being consented.  
However, he simply nodded waiting for Chanyeol to speak.  
“I spoke with Sehun yesterday” he started and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I think I mistook your relationship. I was sure you were in love with him” Chanyeol continued, fingers carding through his hair and sigh already on his lips.  
“I’m not…” Baekhyun started but Chanyeol smiled softly.  
“I know and Sehun said the same. Even if he added something that made me think. He said that he would be lucky to be loved by you as you love someone else” he stated and Baekhyun shifted his stare away again.  
He didn’t want to speak about that.  
He didn’t want Chanyeol to bring up again the fact that he couldn’t love anyone.  
Because he didn’t feel right that day and he couldn’t keep his usual façade if Chanyeol would start belittling his feelings.  
“I don’t. I think he mistook something too. I’m not in love with anyone” he stated but Chanyeol frowned shortly.  
“Are you sure? Because I spoke also with Jondae, yesterday. And he wasn’t happy at all” he whispered, making a frown appear on Baekhyun’s face.  
“He wasn’t happy? Something happened? Things with Minseok-hyung aren’t going fine?” he asked Chanyeol immediately and making him chuckle shortly.  
“Nothing of this thing. Minseok is fine and Jondae wasn’t angry with him or with you. He was with me” he explained and Baekhyun frowned even more.  
“With you?” he echoed and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Because I’m a, what was it, insensitive petty spoiled brat” he replied chuckle present on his voice and lips.  
Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in surprise.  
“He told you that?” he asked him and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
Baekhyun wanted to add something but Chanyeol stopped him.  
“He’s right because I didn’t see what was obvious. And because I was jealous of Sehun I ended up hurting you” he stated making Baekhyun frown again and shook his head.  
“Why would you be jealous of Sehun?” he asked him perplexed and Chanyeol sighed, imperceptibly leaning closer to Baekhyun.  
“Because you were spending so much time with him and he even helped you in choosing the clothes to go to a club?” he whispered back but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“We are friends, it’s normal. And he was the one suggesting it, since I wanted to see a different side of you but I couldn’t go dressed like usual…” he started explaining, trying to start sorting things in his head, because there was such a mess inside there.  
“Wait” Chanyeol started placing both hands on Baekhyun’s shoulders and forcing him to stare at him.  
“You are telling me that you asked Sehun to bring you to the club where I performed, just to see me?” he asked him and Baekhyun sighed deeply before replying.  
Nothing would have changed even if Chanyeol knew Baekhyun’s feelings.  
He was already avoiding him, so worse than that it couldn’t go.  
“Yes. Because I wanted to know more about you and the things you do. And Sehun suggested that you showed different side of you while you were doing music. And I had to see it myself” he explained softly   
“And how was it?” Chanyeol asked briefly.  
Baekhyun sighed again, stare finally willingly meeting again with Chanyeol’s.  
“I came back every week-end” he replied, small smile appearing on his lips and Chanyeol blushed before leaning in and he was too near and Baekhyun could almost feel his breath on his lips.  
“Jondae told me also another thing yesterday…” he whispered and Baekhyun hummed, unable to move.  
“That without even knowing, we share the same feelings” he commented and Baekhyun let out a small chuckle.  
“It would be great” he added and Chanyeol smiled softly.  
“I don’t know what you are feeling but I…” he started and Baekhyun pushed a finger on Chanyeol’s lips.  
“These are my feelings” he whispered softly, leaning in and placing a kiss on Chanyeol’s lips.  
It should have been a chaste, soft, delicate kiss, but Chanyeol pressed back, arms circling Baekhyun’s waist and pulling him closer.  
They kissed in silence, gently without any rush, feeling it becoming wet when Chanyeol’s softly bit Baekhyun’s lips asking for access.  
Baekhyun sighed in the kiss, almost feeling on cloud nine.  
“I think we are on the same page, then” Chanyeol commented, breathing softly in the kiss and Baekhyun smiled, distancing a bit from him.  
“I … don’t know” he started and Chanyeol frowned shortly.  
“It’s all new to me and I don’t know. You are so much, Chanyeol, I can’t even start with it?” he whispered and Chanyeol caressed his cheek.  
“One step at time?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
There was a small silence and then Baekhyun frowned softly.  
“What does this make us?” he asked Chanyeol who chuckled, kissing Baekhyun’s nose.  
“We are already married” he replied and Baekhyun hummed shortly.  
“It’s not like we never acted like that, apart for a short moment in Honolulu” Baekhyun objected making Chanyeol frown.  
Baekhyun sighed.  
“When those guys were talking to me, I stated that I was with my husband. It’s the only time I used this word willingly, apart of press conferences” he explained softly.  
“I didn’t know it…” Chanyeol stated and Baekhyun hummed.  
“I’m sorry” he whispered softly but Chanyeol hugged him.  
“And I don’t know what this makes us, but if you want we can start like dating. I can bring you somewhere to eat, we can go somewhere together without being it only for public image” he started and Baekhyun nodded shortly, surprised by the prolonged proximity.  
“I’ve never dated someone, though…” he whispered softly and Chanyeol kissed the top of his head.  
“I’ve never had a serious relationship either, you know?” Chanyeol stated making Baekhyun blush briefly.  
“What will it be of us?” he asked, voice wavering but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Let’s trust our possibilities, Baekhyun, and everything will be fine” he concluded and Baekhyun nodded shortly, deciding to trust Chanyeol once for all.

  
Surprisingly, Chanyeol was a caring, protective and supportive boyfriend.  
Or better, husband.  
He remembered to Baekhyun to eat and to sleep, he brought him outside when he was stressing too much on something without finding any solution, they even played music together in multiple occasions.  
Baekhyun felt loved and cherished as he never felt before.  
And he was able to finally show his personality, made of cute antics and workaholic temper.  
Of icy replies at phones when he was working and of soft caresses in the middle of the night when, before going to his own room he went to Chanyeol’s to check if he was fine.  
Of gloomy behaviors before the morning coffee and food cravings at three am.  
Or simply of cooking something for Chanyeol just because.  
Things were going fine, then, if not that they didn’t get past soft kisses and gentle caresses.  
And they still slept in two different beds.  
Baekhyun somehow felt like he wanted something more than that and that something was still missing in all of that, but he didn’t know how to properly face the matter with Chanyeol.  
Things got to change only after Chanyeol’s birthday party.  
They ate lunch with their friends and then prepared for that evening party.  
It would be something formal and bright and like all the galas that Baekhyun came gradually to hate.  
He had to pretend even harder than before not to be what he became in the last ten months.  
And after a not so fortunate comment from his mother, he decided that he didn’t care that night and the wine was strangely good and sweet for being wine.  
He wasn’t drunk when Chanyeol finally escorted him at home but he wasn’t even sober.  
“You don’t even bear alcohol, so why?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun hummed.  
“It was sweet and almost felt like juice? I didn’t know there was…” he started but Chanyeol had to take his hand and bring him to his room because he was sure that if Baekhyun would sat on the couch, he would have slept there.  
And it wasn’t good for him.  
Baekhyun started to undress, finding his sweatpants and t-shirt neatly folded near the pillow.  
“Do you need a help?” Chanyeol asked him when for more than two minutes Baekhyun wasn’t able to unbutton a single button.  
Baekhyun huffed shortly, nodding.  
“Yeah, sorry. But my head feels heavy and can’t focus on single things” he replied and Chanyeol nodded nearing him, fingers moving on his shirt.  
Baekhyun closed his eyes, focusing on his breath because having Chanyeol this near it was already a problem during normal moment.  
However, in that exact second, it was even more bothering.  
He had a nice perfume on, different from the usual fresh but still with mint and maybe rose?  
And he looked stunning for all the evening.  
“Are you okay?” Chanyeol asked him and his voice was nearer than expected and made Baekhyun jolt.  
“Yeah, sure sorry” he replied but Chanyeol’s fingers were already caressing his neck, up to his cheeks.  
“You sure?” he enquired again, leaning his forehead on Baekhyun’s and Baekhyun sighed softly.  
“You are so beautiful” he let out without almost realizing but feeling Chanyeol huffing shortly.  
“I’m the one who should tell it” he retorted but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“You were for all the evening. This color suits you pretty much and your perfume is lovely” he continued and Chanyeol kissed his nose.  
“Aren’t you complimenting me too much? Did I do something wrong?” Chanyeol asked him but Baekhyun playfully slapped his arm.  
“Idiot, I love you it’s only normal that I have compliments for you” he replied and Chanyeol stared at him shortly.  
“It’s not for the wine?” he added but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“It’s not the first time I tell you that I love, so obviously wine doesn’t matter in this” he stated slightly puffing his cheeks and even before Chanyeol could add something, he took off his shirt, picking up his t-shirt.  
“Do you think I would drink so much that I wouldn’t be lucid anymore? Do you want my mother to kill me this time for sure?” he asked him, walking out of Chanyeol’s space and feeling like that a moment before there was something sweet and the latter he just wanted to go to sleep.  
Chanyeol hummed in thought.  
“No, well obviously no, but it was… unexpected” he commented and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I didn’t realize it was like that. However, I would never continue after that glass. I knew that I was a bit tipsy” he retorted and Chanyeol slightly caressed his arm.  
“Baekhyun, I know, I wasn’t scolding you…” he started again and Baekhyun nodded, slightly biting his lips.  
“Sorry” he whispered in the end, taking his sweatpants.  
Before Chanyeol could object, he spoke again.  
“Now I think I’ll change and go to sleep. Sorry for making you bring me home earlier on your birthday” he whispered but Chanyeol shook his head, taking Baekhyun’s hand in his.  
“Baekhyun” he called him and Baekhyun turned toward him.  
“You are doing it again. Don’t hide from me… It’s clear that there’s some problem. I’m here” he whispered, fingers caressing the back of Baekhyun’s hand.  
Baekhyun sighed again, this time deeper.  
“I love you, Chanyeol. And I love everything of you” he stated making Chanyeol slightly blush.  
“And with everything, I mean everything. However, I think I’m not… pleasant as you are and it’s clear that I don’t, uhm, attract you the same way you do to me” he whispered, struggling with words and embarrassment.  
Chanyeol’s eyes went wider in surprise.  
“You are joking right?” he managed to ask back but Baekhyun shook his head.  
Chanyeol shook his head again, closing once again the distance between them.  
“You are beautiful, Baekhyun and I’m so, so, so much attracted to you, but I didn’t want to force things on your pace?” he whispered, hand caressing his cheek and place another kiss on his nose.  
Baekhyun shook his head again.  
“You don’t need to justify your actions, Chanyeol. It’s probably my…” he started but Chanyeol shut him up kissing him, pressing his lips not so gently on Baekhyun’s.  
They kissed slowly, simply enjoying the sensation of each other’s lips on their own.  
Chanyeol’s hands went to caress Baekhyun’s sides, fingers moving beneath the fabric of his t-shirt.  
“Chanyeol, wait…” Baekhyun whispered in the kiss and Chanyeol halted immediately.  
“You don’t have to. And neither forcing yourself” Baekhyun added making Chanyeol huff in exasperation.  
“I want to. And I’m not forcing myself. I was waiting for a sign from you since forever” he started, fingers caressing Baekhyun’s sides and making him shiver.  
“You are so beautiful” he continued, kissing his cheek and Baekhyun felt the blush reaching his cheeks.  
He wanted to interject but Chanyeol didn’t leave him the time.  
“And so sensitive. So delicate…” he added, fingers running on his abdomen to reach his nipples, without touching them.  
Baekhyun bit his lips, softly, feeling electricity passing through is back.  
Chanyeol’s mouth closed around his collarbone, biting softly, earning a soft sigh from Baekhyun.  
He was feeling hundreds of feelings altogether.  
Baekhyun felt hot, but it wasn’t for the wine, it was cause of Chanyeol’s soft kisses on his neck and fingers softly circling around his nipples without touching them.  
Chanyeol bit him a little bit harder on his neck, sucking a purple booming hickey and making Baekhyun gasp at the sensation.  
“Chanyeol…” he sighed again, hands carding through his hair and pulling him closer.  
“Stop me if you don’t like it” Chanyeol whispered and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
It was the first time someone touched him so intimately.  
He felt hundreds of different feelings and wanted Chanyeol to touch him more.  
Chanyeol softly pinched his nipple, making Baekhyun repress a moan, biting his lip.  
“Let me hear your voice, Baekhyun” he stated, finger caressing Baekhyun’s lips gently.  
“It’s… embarrassing” Baekhyun whispered in reply but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“It’s normal. And sexy, I love your voice especially when it gets high pitched” he retorted and Baekhyun blushed furiously.  
“I’m not… sexy” Baekhyun interjected earning himself a scolding stare from Chanyeol.  
“No?” he asked him, gently pushing him on Baekhyun’s bed and hovering on him.  
Baekhyun yipped in surprise, cheeks red and eyes half-closed to focus on the sensation of Chanyeol’s hands on his sides and nipples.  
Chanyeol pinched one once again, making Baekhyun arch his back from the bed.  
“You are so sensual and so perfect, Baekhyun…” Chanyeol started and Baekhyun wanted to retort but Chanyeol leant down again to softly bite his neck.  
“And I want you to realize it too” he whispered, moving to lick his ear before biting it too.  
Baekhyun sighed again, hands going to caress Chanyeol’s hair.  
“I will shower you with so much affection and I promise you won’t never get tired of it” he continued pulling up Baekhyun’s shirt and Baekhyun helped him removed it.  
“How could I get tired of this? Of you?” Baekhyun whispered, caressing Chanyeol’s cheeks.  
He smiled softly back before placing again soft kisses all on Baekhyun’s torso.  
Baekhyun shivered, unable to process and contain all the things he was feeling in that moment.  
Chanyeol reached for his nipple, tentatively licking one and Baekhyun gripped slightly harder in Chanyeol’s hair, moaning shortly.  
It was so pleasant and Baekhyun wanted him to continue.  
“Chanyeol, I…” he started and Chanyeol licked him again, before rising his stare and giving attention to Baekhyun’s words.  
“I’ve never…” he tried before immediately shifting his words to “… I don’t know what it’s better to do right now?” he whispered and Chanyeol moved to kiss him softly on his lips, just a small peck.  
“Why don’t we go by steps? You don’t need to do anything. Just enjoy and act as you feel” he proposed shortly and Baekhyun hummed briefly.  
“It can work” he concluded and Chanyeol smiled back at him, before returning to his previous activity on Baekhyun’s nipples, making him moan and quiver under his ministrations.  
Baekhyun let him do it, simply enjoying all the sensations he had in that moment, feeling Chanyeol’s lips and tongue on his torso and his hands caressing down his sides and hipbones.  
He felt his erection growing harder in his trousers and probably Chanyeol noticed it too, because he started palming it softly, earning even more moans and sighs from Baekhyun.  
“May I touch you?” Chanyeol asked him, fingers on the zip of his trousers and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“You don’t have to ask, Chanyeol… If there’s something that I don’t want, I will tell you” he stated and Chanyeol nodded shortly freeing Baekhyun of his trousers and boxer in a single move.  
Baekhyun blushed slightly at the movement, not expecting it.  
“I feel too naked and you are too dressed…” he whispered making Chanyeol chuckle.  
He took off his shirt and trousers too, keeping his boxer on.  
Baekhyun was enthralled by Chanyeol’s naked body.  
His broad back and shoulders.  
His toned torso and abs.  
How he could see veins when he flexed his muscles or was lifting something particularly heavy.  
And his hands that to Baekhyun were always so fascinating and the idea of having them on himself, still felt impossible to him.  
“Like what you see?” Chanyeol asked him, teasing smirk on his lips and Baekhyun blushed, immediately diverting his stare.  
“You are so handsome” he whispered and Chanyeol leant down kissing his forehead, hands caressing his cheeks and forcing him to stare back at Chanyeol.  
“You don’t need to feel embarrassed, Baekhyun… My being handsome is nothing compared to your beauty. You are gorgeous and so sensual” he whispered and Baekhyun open his mouth to interject but Chanyeol pressed a finger on his lips.  
“You are” he repeated, moving his hand to slightly stroke Baekhyun’s erection that was aching for attention since before.  
Baekhyun moaned lowly at the contact and first few strokes.  
It felt so different compared to when he did it alone.  
Chanyeol’s hand was bigger than his and covered more skin than his, making it feel… whole.  
“Chanyeol” he whispered softly, fingers reaching for Chanyeol’s hand and momentarily stopping him.  
“Is it…” Chanyeol started but Baekhyun slightly rise up to place a kiss on his lips.  
“Can we do it together? I want to touch you too…” he whispered and Chanyeol’s eyes went wider before he could nod shortly, pulling off his boxer, shortly brushing their erections together, earning a moan from Baekhyun and repressing one himself.  
Baekhyun’s stare went to Chanyeol’s erection, definitely thicker than his and he wondered if his hand would be big enough to make it as pleasant as it was few instants before for Baekhyun.  
He tentatively touched it, fingertips smearing the few precum beads on the top, feeling Chanyeol sigh at the sensation.  
“Your fingers are cold… You okay?” he whispered softly and Baekhyun was about to retract his hand, but Chanyeol forced it on place.  
“I don’t mind. It’s… pleasant. And I like your fingers around my erection” he continued, making Baekhyun’s cheeks take fire, more than blushing.  
“I-I… they are not as…” he started but Chanyeol kissed him shortly, hand moving again to stroke Baekhyun’s erection.  
“Even if it’s the first time you do it on someone else, it’s not the first time you do it on yourself, right?” Chanyeol asked him, starting to stroke him again and making Baekhyun repress another moan.  
“No, I… do it on myself sometimes” he whispered softly, fingers moving again on Chanyeol’s shaft, slowly and through the whole length.  
Chanyeol bit his lip, trying to hide a moan too.  
“And what do you think about when you do it yourself?” he asked shortly, making Baekhyun blush again and his erection twitch in his hands.  
“About you” he whispered in reply and Chanyeol started to stroke him more, increasing the pace and feeling Baekhyun doing the same on his own erection.  
“And… do you do other things alone?” he asked again, breath coming shorter and Baekhyun had to focus on his words because it was too distracting and too pleasant what Chanyeol was doing to him.  
“It’s embarrassing but… I finger myself sometimes?” he muttered and Chanyeol’s stare was immediately on his face, pleasantly perplexed.  
“Oh, that’s erotic. You think about me also in those moments?” he asked to Baekhyun, making him moan deeply, increasing again his pace on Baekhyun’s erection.  
“Yes, because you are too beautiful and I’ve always wondered how your fingers would fill me up” he explained, matching Chanyeol’s tempo also on Chanyeol’s erection, feeling it growing thicker in his hand, leaking even more precum.  
Chanyeol moaned deeper, leaning in and kissing Baekhyun’s neck.  
“You are too perfect, Baekhyun” he whispered, biting him and Baekhyun felt his orgasm drawing nearer at a faster pace than usual.  
“Please…” he muttered, increasing his own movement on Chanyeol’s erection, feeling again Chanyeol’s teeth grace on his neck.  
“Baekhyun” Chanyeol moaned, finally coming on Baekhyun’s fingers, biting harder on his neck and making Baekhyun coming too with a low moan and Chanyeol’s name on his lips.  
They stared at each other in silence for few moments, trying to realize what just happened and how that could change all their intimacy following from that day on.  
Chanyeol brought his fingers on his lips, licking them clear, before cleaning also Baekhyun’s in the same way.  
“You are so beautiful” Chanyeol repeated to him and Baekhyun blushed softly.  
“You are too, Chanyeol” he replied, stare not leaving Chanyeol’s face.  
“Do you want to shower together before sleep?” Chanyeol proposed him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I want to discover everything of you, one step at time” he added making Chanyeol’s cheeks becoming a nice shade of red.  
“You will be the death of me, Baekhyun” he concluded sitting up and pulling Baekhyun with him toward the bathroom.

  
It started like that the Slow Discover of Chanyeol’s Wonders as Baekhyun sometimes liked to define it.  
Chanyeol was not only a caring husband regarding everything concerning Baekhyun’s welfare, but also concerning his pleasure.  
Firstly, it was a slow process, learning of boundaries, limits, likes or dislikes.  
Baekhyun was awkward at the start, always asking for permission and if it was okay for him to feel him that good under Chanyeol’s attentions.  
Then he gradually started to take a bit of courage too, taking initiative and starting actions more than only letting Chanyeol do everything, exploding one day in an action that astonished both himself and Chanyeol.  
They were at a gala, one of the hundreds that months but the most important since it was the one for the end of the year, and Baekhyun was annoying himself to death.  
There were only old partners of Park Dukedom and Byun Principality and almost no one known by the young couple.  
After dinner, taking favor of all their guests being drinking and speaking of old times gone, Baekhyun took Chanyeol’s hand and brought him in one of the many luxurious restrooms on the upper floor.  
“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asked him perplexed when, once inside, Baekhyun closed the door behind himself.  
“If I knew this would be so annoying, I would have declined this invitation” he whispered, fixing his hair on the big mirror in front of him.  
“It’s the last day of the year and it was important for financial matter, no?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun sighed, turning toward him.  
“Sure. Yet, it’s boring and I don’t think I will get alive at the end of the evening if we don’t find something entertaining to do” he whispered, hands moving to caress Chanyeol’s cheeks.  
Chanyeol smirked softly.  
“You seem to have an idea?” he asked and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Both of our suits are more expensive than those people yearly income and we don’t want to stain them, so mind if I suck you off?” he asked him and Chanyeol’s eyes widened in surprise.  
It was the first time that Baekhyun willingly proposed something.  
And most of all, to give Chanyeol a blowjob?  
“Where do you have learnt to speak so dirty?” Chanyeol asked him but he was somehow pleased by the difference that there was between formal Baekhyun and his Baekhyun.  
Baekhyun smiled playfully at him.  
“Don’t feign your innocence, because I learnt everything from you” he stated, placing a short kiss on Chanyeol’s lips, before kneeling down and fiddling with Chanyeol’s belt and zip.  
“You know, I’ve never imagined that it would come a day in which you would propose me to suck me off in the restroom of an important gala full of rich and annoying people” Chanyeol stated, smirk still present on his lips and Baekhyun smiled back.  
“People can surprise you. One day you think that your annoying imposed husband is a prude and the next he’s sucking you off in a restroom” he commented, making Chanyeol’s trouser slide down his legs and shortly pulling also at his boxer, revealing his erection, already half-hard.  
“And you don’t even seem to be displeased by it” he added, smirking toward Chanyeol who blushed shortly.  
“How can I? You looked gorgeous all the night and now you are on your knees ready to give me a blowjob. What could be sexier?” he asked shortly and Baekhyun chuckled.  
“May I then?” he asked softly, fingers brushing the tip of Chanyeol’s erection.  
Chanyeol closed his eyes shortly before nodding.  
“Please” he concluded and Baekhyun smiled before licking it shortly, starting from the base all along its length.  
Chanyeol shivered, exhaling a sigh, hand caressing Baekhyun’s hair.  
Baekhyun repeated the motion twice, before taking Chanyeol’s erection in his mouth, sucking shortly and earning a moan from Chanyeol.  
“Baekhyun…” he whispered, fingers gripping a little bit harder on Baekhyun’s hair.  
Baekhyun smiled softly before starting slowly to suck, tongue playing with the tip and hand firmly moving at the base.  
He started leisurely, without any rush, playing and feeling Chanyeol’s shaft getting thicker inside his mouth, precum on his tongue.  
Chanyeol groaned shortly when Baekhyun pushed an hand on his hip, keeping him in place.  
“Baek… please, more” he whispered softly, fingers playing with Baekhyun’s hair.  
Baekhyun nodded shortly, increasing his tempo on Chanyeol’s erection both of his hand and his mouth.  
He also let Chanyeol move as he pleased, moderately pushing inside his mouth, chasing for more friction, more wetness and his releasing.  
Baekhyun indulged in his movement, giving him what he wanted, following his lead and feeling him getting even thicker in his mouth.  
“Baekhyun… pull out” he whispered but Baekhyun pretended no to hear, increasing his movement even more.  
And after few more sucks, he felt him thrust slightly deeper inside his mouth and coming, panting and moaning Baekhyun’s name.  
Chanyeol’s cum was salty and slightly spicy, but nothing too gross to spit it out.  
So Baekhyun swallowed every single drop of it, licking Chanyeol clean when he ended.  
Chanyeol was still breathing harder, eyes closed in concentration and Baekhyun stood up, hand caressing Chanyeol’s cheek.  
“You okay?” he asked him, a bit worried.  
But Chanyeol pulled him near, kissing him hurriedly.  
“Chanyeol, wait, wait… I taste like…” he started but Chanyeol ignored him, continuing to pepper kiss him on his lips, cheeks and nose.  
“You are so perfect” he finally whispered and Baekhyun blushed softly.  
“It was nothing” he muttered back but Chanyeol shook his head, finally meeting Baekhyun’s stare with his.  
“Nothing? It was perfect, Baekhyun. As you are” Chanyeol continued and Baekhyun smiled sweetly.  
“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Chanyeol. It was my first time…” he added and Chanyeol’s eyes widened in surprise.  
“Your first time?” he echoed and Baekhyun nodded.  
“You are my first partner, remember? And I never did it before” he replied and Chanyeol kissed him even harder.  
“Indeed. Perfect” he concluded smiling adorably toward him and Baekhyun thought he missed a heartbeat.  
There was a small silence in which they stared at each other and then Baekhyun smiled softly.  
“Let’s go back before people realize that we are gone” he stated shortly but Chanyeol frowned.  
“What about you?” he asked pulling up his trousers and Baekhyun shook his head.  
“I can wait until home” Baekhyun replied and Chanyeol wanted to add more but Baekhyun shook his head again.  
“Come one, let’s go” he concluded, taking his hand and walking out of the restroom.

  
Apparently, though, Chanyeol wasn’t glad of ending like that their evening and with small gestures and when people didn’t notice, teased Baekhyun all the rest of the evening.  
When they arrived home, Chanyeol didn’t had the time to close the door behind himself that Baekhyun pinned him against it, kissing him passionately, hands caressing his sides and making inexistent the distance between them.  
“Baek-Baekhyun, wait…” Chanyeol started in between the kisses and Baekhyun sighed before stopping to kiss him.  
“What now? I’m getting kind of impatient here” he whispered back, stare meeting with Chanyeol’s that nodded shortly.  
“I know, Baek, me too, but wasn’t it about these suits being expensive as fuck?” Chanyeol stated and Baekhyun sighed back, distancing himself from Chanyeol and walking toward their room, formerly only Chanyeol’s, without turning back.  
“Baekhyun? Sweetheart?” Chanyeol called him following him but Baekhyun was already undressing.  
“You kept teasing me through all the evening” he started and he was frowning, frustrated by the lack of contact between them.  
He wanted Chanyeol’s attentions so much.  
He wanted him to touch him and kiss him everywhere.  
And why not, even finally reaching last base?  
They started to enjoy each other presence more frequently and being more open on the things that they wanted, but still sex was an untouched subject, far in the distance and never even mentioned.  
Baekhyun wondered why Chanyeol seemed almost refusing the simple idea of speaking about it.  
And Baekhyun, how could he?  
He never had experience in that kind of things and… maybe it wasn’t the right moment?  
Or it was better to wait?  
“Baekhyun, it was only teasing. Are you mad at me?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun’s hands halted on the buttons of his shirt.  
He inhaled deeply before pulling out his best soft smile.  
“No, why should I? It’s fine, fine” he added, putting the jacket in the closet, being cautious not to wrinkle it.  
But Chanyeol shook his head, taking off his jacket too and putting it away.  
“It’s never okay when you use fine in the same sentence. Twice” he stated and Baekhyun chuckled shortly.  
“When did you become such a Baekhyun’s language connoisseur?” he asked back making Chanyeol frown.  
“And you never reply twice with two questions without replying the first one” he added making Baekhyun sigh shortly.  
“Chanyeol, everything is fine, really. Why don’t we get rid of these suits so that we can go sleep?” Baekhyun whispered softly but Chanyeol wasn’t convinced.  
He took Baekhyun’s hand and kissed it shortly.  
“Did I do something wrong?” he asked and Baekhyun was about to shake his head again when Chanyeol interrupted him, speaking up again.  
“And don’t say no. Because two minutes ago you were kissing me on the back of our front door and now you propose me to sleep” he stated making Baekhyun sigh in exasperation.  
“I’m just tired?” he tried but Chanyeol raised his eyebrow in perplexity.  
“Really? And in five more minutes you will develop an headache, I suppose…” he remarked, tone flat and totally unbelieving of Baekhyun’s words.  
Baekhyun sighed again.  
He didn’t want to face that subject.  
Not that night and not when Chanyeol still felt so uninterested about it.  
Maybe Baekhyun wasn’t enough for him and playing around was fine, but for more serious things he wasn’t good.  
Or maybe Chanyeol was getting tired of him because he didn’t know a lot of things on the whole sexual matters.  
Or maybe…  
He tried to push all those thoughts away, smiling softly toward Chanyeol.  
“I’m sorry” he whispered but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“You know I hate it when you say you are sorry with this tone. Tell me what’s wrong. Stop hiding yourself from me” he stated and his voice was a mix of anger and sadness.  
But Baekhyun wasn’t willing to know which was the truth behind them not speaking about having sex together.  
Not that night that he earnt himself a nice experience and he still could think that Chanyeol was still interested in him.  
“I can’t, Chanyeol” he replied and Chanyeol inhaled sharply.  
“Why not?” he asked again, taking Baekhyun’s hand in his and Baekhyun sighed again.  
“I don’t want to know. If I don’t ask question, I can’t feel disappointed by the replies, right?” he replied but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“If you don’t ask, you can’t also feel happy and relieved by the replies” he stated and Baekhyun forced a smile.  
“Not when I know that nothing good can come from that specific question” Baekhyun objected making Chanyeol frown.  
“Is this about me fooling around in the past? You know that I don’t do it anymore” he stated but Baekhyun shook his head, making Chanyeol’s frown grown deeper.  
“Is this about me teasing you all the evening when you didn’t want to?” he asked again and Baekhyun once again shook his head, making Chanyeol sigh.  
“Test me, then. Ask me whatever this might be and let’s see what is this question that makes you this afraid of asking” he stated and when Baekhyun wanted to interject, Chanyeol pushed a finger on his lips.  
“Ask me. I won’t let you down” he concluded and Baekhyun inhaled deeply before closing his eyes and taking both Chanyeol’s hands in his.  
He opened his eyes again, staring right at Chanyeol, slightly gripping on his hands.  
“Why we don’t have sex?” he asked him straight away and Chanyeol’s eyes became wider in surprise.  
“Is this the question?” he asked back, seemingly unable to process things happening in his mind and Baekhyun simply nodded shortly, preparing to whatever refusal Chanyeol would come up with.  
Chanyeol shook his head, laughing shortly.  
“Really? Aren’t you joking?” he asked again and Baekhyun frowned.  
“Why would I joke on something this important?” he retorted, shaking his head, feeling already the disappointment incoming.  
Chanyeol smiled softly at him, closing the distance between them.  
“You know, I was wondering when you would bring this up” Chanyeol whispered near his ear and Baekhyun felt Chanyeol’s deep tone echoing in his being, making him hide a shiver.  
“Why were you so afraid of asking?” he asked him and Baekhyun closed his eyes, feeling Chanyeol’s fingers tracing small circle on his neck and nape.  
“Because you didn’t want to?” Baekhyun tried but Chanyeol chuckled.  
“I want it from the very first time I was able to touch you. You are so beautiful…” he whispered back, making Baekhyun shiver.  
Baekhyun sighed shortly.  
“Maybe because it’s something important and you didn’t want to do it with someone like me…” he whispered, voice quavering and finally revealing his emotions and feelings that plagued him for the last two weeks and especially that evening.  
Chanyeol clicked his tongue, annoyed.  
“Are you kidding me, right?” he asked shortly, tone almost emotionless.  
Baekhyun reopened his eyes staring back at him and Chanyeol was… hurt?  
“Are you listening to the nonsense you are saying?” he asked again and indeed the most predominant emotion was hurt.  
“I love you so much, Baekhyun. You are smart, fun, sweet, caring. And so, so, so, so beautiful. Why wouldn’t I want to make love with someone like you?” he asked quoting those last words with air commas.  
Baekhyun shook his head shortly.  
“You never mentioned it. I thought you weren’t interested in me in that sense” Baekhyun finally whispered and Chanyeol shook his head, taking Baekhyun’s face between his hands.  
“Absolutely wrong. As per the first time I touched you, I was waiting for a sign from you. I didn’t want you to feel pressured because I had previous experience and you hadn’t. I didn’t want you to feel rushed in arriving to last base just because you thought that it would make me happy. I wanted you to take your time and enjoy all the way down there” he explained placing a soft kiss on his forehead.  
Baekhyun stared at him perplexed and incredulous.  
“So you were… waiting for me?” he asked briefly, voice trembling and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“For you and you only. Because you are the only one I love” he replied, voice tone getting lower and kissing Baekhyun shortly on his lips.  
Baekhyun kissed him back, feeling so soft inside he almost wanted to cry.  
Because how could he be so lucky in having Chanyeol by his side also in that?  
So caring and attentive also in something Baekhyun never mentioned before?  
“I love you” Baekhyun started whispering between every soft kiss, making Chanyeol chuckle softly.  
“You are so precious, Baekhyun. And I’ve already done awful things to you. I just want you to be happy and feel loved” he whispered and Baekhyun hugged him with a leap, pushing both of them on the bed.  
“I’ve never felt more love and happy in my life” he stated, hovering Chanyeol that smiled softly at him.  
“That makes me even happier, then” he replied caressing his cheek and pulling him down for a kiss that started as brief but got more passionate and wet.  
Baekhyun’s hands caressed Chanyeol’s neck, practically sitting on his laps without breaking the kiss.  
“Baekhyun” Chanyeol whispered, hands moving to his sides and starting to caress them over the shirt.  
Baekhyun stopped immediately, stare enquiring Chanyeol who smiled softly.  
“Trousers. We don’t want to stain them, right?” he whispered making Baekhyun snort and sit up to remove them, before fold them properly and laying them on the back of a chair.  
Chanyeol did the same and then pulled Baekhyun on the bed, swapping their placing and hovering on Baekhyun.  
“Especially because I don’t plan to go easy on you” he whispered at Baekhyun’s ear, making him shiver and bite his lips softly.  
“What do you plan to do, then?” he asked him, hands moving to unbutton Chanyeol’s shirt, smirk softly appearing on his lips, teasingly.  
Chanyeol smiled back, leaning in to bite Baekhyun’s ear.  
“Making you beg for it” he whispered and Baekhyun chuckled softly.  
“I’m a prince, you know, and usually Princes don’t beg” he stated earning himself a candid smile from Chanyeol.  
“Let see at the end of the night?” he whispered, fingers running along his sides and making Baekhyun shiver.  
“You seem confident” Baekhyun commented shortly and Chanyeol smiled again before leaning in, at two inches from Baekhyun’s lips.  
“I am” he whispered, literally a breath away from Baekhyun.  
Baekhyun smiled again, hands carding through Chanyeol’s hair.  
“Show me, then. I can’t wait” he concluded, pulling him down and kissing him again, licking his way into Chanyeol’s mouth.  
Chanyeol let him do as he pleased, hands moving again on Baekhyun’s torso, fingers finally getting to Baekhyun’s nipples, pinching and squeezing them.  
Baekhyun moaned, arching his back from the bed and trying to earn some friction but one of Chanyeol’s hand kept him down, fingers teasing the waistband of his boxer.  
“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun groaned lowly and Chanyeol chuckled in the kiss before distancing himself and left a small peck on his lips, moving toward his neck and collarbones.  
Everything felt so slow, and Baekhyun was getting impatient again, but he wouldn’t let Chanyeol win on having him beg for it.  
So he simply enjoyed Chanyeol’s attention on his neck and shortly on his nipples before he could go even more south, reaching his navel.  
Chanyeol sweetly kissed it before pulling down his boxer with a swift movement.  
Baekhyun bit his lips softly, feeling Chanyeol’s fingers brushing his erection.  
But then Chanyeol went even down and took Baekhyun’s shaft in his mouth, accommodating mostly of it in a single movement.  
Baekhyun groaned again, feeling too wet and warm too suddenly and wanting to thrust inside Chanyeol’s mouth so bad.  
But Chanyeol’s hands still kept him down on the bed, preventing him to move.  
Chanyeol started slowly to lick him, giving most of his attention to the tip and its lower part.  
Baekhyun’s hand went to Chanyeol’s hair, carding in and slightly pulling every time Chanyeol reached the most sensitive part of the tip.  
“Chanyeol” he moaned softly when Chanyeol started a tempo to his ministration, increasing the pace.  
Baekhyun felt himself growing thicker in Chanyeol’s mouth, adjusting to the tempo and to its wetness.  
Chanyeol continued, always keeping him pinned to the bed but still giving him what he wanted, so Baekhyun couldn’t actually complaint.  
If not for the last part.  
He felt like he was coming.  
“Chanyeol, pull off, I’m almost…” he whispered but Chanyeol stopped, popping out.  
Baekhyun hissed, feeling his high went away as it came, without finding a release.  
“Chanyeol!” he exclaimed but Chanyeol just softly smiled, picking up lube from the drawer and once again Chanyeol’s mouth was on Baekhyun’s erection, softly teasing and licking, without fulfilling that sudden loss.  
While he was sucking him leisurely he poured a generous amount of lube on his fingers, starting to tease also his entrance.  
Baekhyun felt the cold of the lube near his entrance and opened his legs wider, earning a low appreciation moan from Chanyeol, who echoed in him through his erection.  
The first finger went in, as the second, without much effort and Baekhyun soon find himself moving in tempo with Chanyeol’s fingers thrusts inside him.  
However he had also Chanyeol’s mouth that was still teasing him, keeping him so hard it hurt but without giving him any release.  
“Yeol…” he whispered and Chanyeol raised his stare on him, and Baekhyun thought that he was so sexy that he could come in whatever moment.  
Chanyeol pulled off with a lousy pop, licking his lips.  
“Everything’s fine?” Chanyeol asked him and Baekhyun nodded.  
“Yeah… You are so sensual, you know?” he asked Chanyeol making him softly blush.  
“Thanks, I suppose? Even if I won’t make you come earlier if you compliment me” he whispered shortly, thrusting his fingers deeper inside Baekhyun and getting to his prostate.  
Baekhyun arched his back meeting the thrust inside them and Chanyeol took him in his mouth, while adding a third digit inside Baekhyun.  
Baekhyun moaned softly, hands carding through Chanyeol’s hair, gripping slightly.  
Chanyeol increased again the pace of both his ministrations, making Baekhyun whimper softly.  
Baekhyun didn’t know if thrusting inside Chanyeol’s mouth following the wetness, or if going down for Chanyeol’s fingers inside him that continuously hit his softest spot.  
And when he decided to thrust toward Chanyeol’s mouth, catching once again his own release, Chanyeol slowed down, making him again delay his orgasm.  
He bit his lips again, inhaling sharply.  
“You are being unfair, Chanyeollie” Baekhyun moaned and Chanyeol’s eyes went wider at the nickname.  
If Chanyeol wanted to play, Baekhyun knew few tricks too.  
“Would you let me come? Just once?” he whispered and Chanyeol released Baekhyun’s erection to reply.  
“Once would it be fine? And you know what you have to do if you want to come” he replied, smiling softly at him, lips shining bright of saliva and Baekhyun’s precum.  
Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“Wasn’t it only regarding the last part? Wouldn’t it be unfair if won’t come at least once before it? You came already tonight” he countered and Chanyeol hummed softly.  
“Fair enough” he concluded, before starting again to suck him off and moving his fingers inside Baekhyun.  
Baekhyun moaned lowly, startled by the unexpected decision and slightly thrusting inside Chanyeol’s mouth.  
He got again near, so near and he was getting crazy about coming at least one time in that wet and warm place that was Chanyeol’s mouth.  
And that time, Chanyeol let him come.  
Sucking him off until the very end.  
Baekhyun felt again himself becoming thicker and even before he could tell Chanyeol to move, he was coming hard in his mouth.  
Chanyeol took everything too and when he was finished, he playfully slapped Baekhyun tight.  
“On your knees, sweetheart. We are far from done” he almost ordered, helping Baekhyun moving.  
Baekhyun stared at him perplexed.  
“What now?” he asked and Chanyeol chuckled.  
“Now all the rest until you will be begging me to finally fuck you. And now you can’t use the card of I didn’t come yet not your Chanyeollie with sweet voice. You almost got me there, though…” he whispered and Baekhyun opened in a bright smile.  
“You don’t like nickname, Chanyeollie?” he teased him and Chanyeol smiled softly, pinching his cheeks.  
“Two can play the same game, Baekhyunnie” he replied and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in surprise, warm feeling bubbling in his chest.  
“Unfair” he whispered and Chanyeol kissed him on his nose before helping him stay on his own hands and knees.  
Baekhyun expected more lube and again friction but what he didn’t expected was Chanyeol’s tongue licking his hole, flatly, without insertion.  
Baekhyun whimpered at the sensation, trying to muffle a moan, but Chanyeol gripped hard on his buttock, making him let out a soft moan.  
Baekhyun had to concentrate harder because, not being able to see what Chanyeol was doing, he only had to rely on his other sense.  
But still it came unexpected when Chanyeol after few more laps, he forcefully thrusted his tongue inside Baekhyun’s entrance, making him whimper, feeling his erection getting harder once again.  
And if Chanyeol’s tongue thrusting inside him wasn’t sufficient, Chanyeol moved his hand and started stroking Baekhyun’s erection and his balls.  
Slowly, gently, almost imperceptibly and Baekhyun really thought he was going crazy.  
It was so much, but not enough and every time that he felt like he was getting closer, Chanyeol felt it too and slowed down the pace.  
Baekhyun felt precum leaking from his erection and after the countless time in which Chanyeol gripped on his waist making him unable to thrust in Chanyeol’s hand for more friction, or toward Chanyeol’s tongue for more insertion, he finally decided that he had enough.  
He wanted to come again and he wanted to feel Chanyeol inside him and… be damn not begging.  
“Chanyeol…” he whimpered, when Chanyeol squeezed his erection with a little bit more of intention, thrusting his tongue deeper inside Baekhyun.  
“Chanyeollie, please. Please…” he whispered and Chanyeol lapped softly his hole before replying.  
“What do you want?” he asked him, softly biting one Baekhyun’s buttock.  
Baekhyun almost yipped in surprise.  
“I want you. I want to feel you inside me…” he replied softly and, without waiting for Chanyeol’s reply, he turned himself around taking Chanyeol’s hand and pulling him down with him, laying on the bed.  
“Pretty please, Yeollie?” he asked and Chanyeol groaned, biting his own lips.  
“You will be the death of me, Baekhyun” he replied, leaning down to bite again his neck, sucking an hickey.  
Chanyeol moved toward the nightstand and pulled out a condom.  
“Do you want me to…?” Baekhyun asked him and Chanyeol frowned shortly.  
“To?” he retorted and Baekhyun’s hands moved swiftly toward Chanyeol’s erection, stroking it slowly for few times.  
Chanyeol groaned enjoying the sensation of Baekhyun’s hands on him.  
“You are so sensual, Baekhyun, you don’t even know the effects you have on me…” he whispered before stopping Baekhyun’s hand and opening up the condom foiled package.  
He rolled it up and stared at Baekhyun with an intensity different from before.  
Almost as Baekhyun meant the world to him and, Baekhyun finally realized that maybe it was exactly that.  
“You sure? We can stop whenever you want” Chanyeol whispered hand moving to caress Baekhyun who shook his head.  
“I want to feel you inside me, Chanyeol. I want this to be the moment” he muttered back and Chanyeol nodded softly.  
“You need to speak with me though. If you don’t want it anymore, if you are feeling uncomfortable…” he started saying but Baekhyun pushed a fingers on his lips.  
“I will. However, you took great care of me until now. I’ve no doubts you will also now” he whispered and Chanyeol smiled softly at him.  
“Okay, then” he concluded, helping Baekhyun lay down and settling between his legs.  
Baekhyun was feeling ready for that moment.  
He felt like with Chanyeol he could do everything.  
He never felt readier for nothing more than for that moment to happen.  
Chanyeol leant down kissing him softly on his forehead.  
“Relax for me” he whispered, hands caressing his sides and lips placing fluttering kisses on his cheeks and neck.  
Baekhyun inhaled softly, closing his eyes and waiting for it to come.  
Chanyeol pushed in slowly and Baekhyun felt the sting especially for the first part.  
It wasn’t pain in the real sense of the word, more an uncomfortable stretch.  
But when Chanyeol entered and thrusted the rest of his erection in, giving Baekhyun the time to adjust around it, also the uncomfortable sensation went away, leaving its place to a pleasant sensation.  
“How is it?” Chanyeol asked him softly, caressing his cheeks and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I’m not made of crystal, Chanyeol, I’m fine” he whispered and Chanyeol smiled again nodding too.  
“May I move then?” he asked again and Baekhyun nodded once again, arms circling Chanyeol’s neck and pulling him down for a kiss.  
He felt Chanyeol starting to move inside him, thrusting slowly but steadily, finding a tempo that suited both.  
The room was soon filled with their moans and the slick sound of Chanyeol’s thrusts inside Baekhyun.  
Baekhyun felt again that warm feeling filling him up, making him harder, precum once again leaking from his erection.  
And he thought that he would have come like that, but Chanyeol slightly shifted angle inside him, hitting his prostate and making him almost mewl.  
“Chanyeol, there” he pleaded and Chanyeol nodded, hands gripping harder on Baekhyun’s waist and setting a faster pace inside Baekhyun.  
Baekhyun gripped on Chanyeol’s shoulders, matching his movements with Chanyeol’s and feeling his release getting closer and closer.  
“Yeollie, please, more” he whispered and Chanyeol nodded, hands moving between them and stroking Baekhyun’s erection.  
Baekhyun moaned again, feeling his release getting closer and closer.  
“I love you, Baekhyun. I love you so much” Chanyeol whispered at his ear and Baekhyun came on Chanyeol’s hand, squeezing Chanyeol inside him and feeling him coming too.  
Baekhyun felt Chanyeol progressively slow down until a stop and felt his lips placing soft kisses on his neck, cheeks and nose.  
“I love you, Chanyeol” Baekhyun muttered and Chanyeol stared at him again as if Baekhyun was the most precious in the world.  
“Thank you” he breathed, voice barely audible.  
They laid down side by side, breathing in and out, slowly, until Baekhyun took Chanyeol’s hand in his.  
“When all of this started, I wouldn’t even imagine it would end up like this” he whispered making Chanyeol chuckle.  
“You were so… stiffy at the start. And so fixated with rules and honor and do exactly what other people expected you to” Chanyeol added, tilting his head toward him and Baekhyun chuckled too.  
“You weren’t better, you know? With that unruly side of yours and those teenagers antics” he added and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“You changed me for the better” Chanyeol whispered making Baekhyun shook immediately his head.  
“You did. If it wasn’t for you and for our friend, I would be the same person from before” he noted but Chanyeol hummed in thought.  
“That could be true but still it was thank to you if I finally decided what I wanted to do and decided to settle down with you once and forever” he observed making Baekhyun nod softly.  
“It’s almost a year” he then added and Chanyeol nodded almost imperceptibly.  
“Our families gave us one year but I think that, seeing how things went, there won’t be any problem?” Chanyeol added and Baekhyun chuckled again.  
“Really, who would have known?” he observed again, rethinking about all the things happened in that last year.  
He met the most annoying prince on the world.  
He got married to said annoying prince.  
He went abroad on a leisure voyage for the first time with him for honeymoon.  
It went wrong and he had expose himself to cover up a scandal.  
He became friend with the annoying prince, that maybe it wasn’t so annoying anymore.  
He made a lot of friends and evolved in a new person, more complete, finally whole.  
He realized that he was in love with that prince.  
He did his best to get to know more about him but failing miserably and making said prince think that he was in love with his best friend.  
And once the misunderstanding was solved, other misunderstandings came in, regarding their physical relation.  
However, everything was in the right place like pieces of a puzzle finally setting in.  
“Hey, Baekhyun…” Chanyeol started, requiring his attention and Baekhyun turned his head toward him.  
“When our family will give their okay for this matter to be approve once and forever, do you want to…” he started but immediately stopped mid-sentence, making Baekhyun frown.  
“Do I want to?” he asked back but Chanyeol shook his head shortly.  
“It’s stupid, forget it” Chanyeol whispered, but Baekhyun didn’t let him be.  
He sat up sitting on Chanyeol’s laps, shaking his head.  
“It’s not stupid. Mind telling me?” he asked again and Chanyeol frowned.  
“You don’t even know…” he started, hands caressing Baekhyun’s sides, but Baekhyun interrupted him immediately.  
“Who’s hiding now?” he enquired briefly and Chanyeol shut up immediately, hands halting on Baekhyun’s waist.  
Chanyeol sighed deeply, carding his fingers through his hair.  
“Do you want to go back to Hawaii?” he finally asked him and Baekhyun’s eyes went wider in surprise, but he was nodding without even realizing it.  
“Yes, please. Let’s go back together” Baekhyun added softly leaning down and kissing Chanyeol’s lips oh so softly.  
Chanyeol chuckled after the kiss.  
“Same beach, same resort, same room. Is this fine?” he asked him and Baekhyun nodded shortly.  
“I’m in. Let’s scheduled it already before other events or appointment will come up” he replied excited, letting the night pass in whispered plans and soft touches.

  
New Year came and with it all the things to settle for the start of a new year.  
Baekhyun and Chanyeol never were as united and as supportive as in those days.  
Inseparable, always present, committed and in love as never before.  
Every single parent, economical partner, friend they went to see, congratulate with them for how in love they were.  
Baekhyun’s mother was the most surprised by this fact, almost doubting it, but after that she went to their apartment without being invited and a not-exactly-dressed and disheveled Chanyeol opened the door, excusing himself, telling that Baekhyun in that moment wasn’t awake, all her doubts on if his son was actually in love with Prince Park or not were cleared, disappearing magically.  
They met with their families almost few weeks after the start of the year, and they all sat in the same room where they sat that day, one year before.  
Both arrived before their parents and bowed shortly at their arrival.  
“A lot of things changed since last year” King Park stated and they all nodded shortly.  
“How is this marriage going?” Baekhyun’s mother asked them and Baekhyun opened in a bright smile, taking Chanyeol’s hand in his.  
“Never hoped better” he replied honestly and both his mother and Chanyeol’s mother stared at each other perplexed.  
“I’ve never knew that being with Baekhyun could make me this happy” Chanyeol added softly and they all smiled to each other.  
“We can declare it a successful marriage then? That it was in respect of our terms?” King Park asked to Baekhyun’s father who nodded shortly.  
Baekhyun smiled softly and Chanyeol leant down placing a short peck on his lips.  
“See? All for the best” he whispered, winking at him and Baekhyun playfully slapped him, earning himself the perplexed stare of their parents.  
He felt the blush coming to his cheeks but Chanyeol kissed him again, this time at the top of his head.  
“So, for next week…” King Park started but Chanyeol stopped him immediately.  
“No, no. Whatever may happens next week we will be oversea, so don’t count us in” he stated, and this time the perplexed stare was for him.  
“We are going to Hawaii” Baekhyun stated softly and his mother shook her head.  
“Oh, heavens, my son is going crazy” she whispered but Baekhyun shook his head.  
“We have some… suspended matters to settle” Baekhyun added and Chanyeol smiled softly near him.  
“It will be only for ten days, so no need to worry” he added and when it was crystal clear that they hadn’t the slightest idea of cancel or postpone their plans, their parents dismissed them.  
They walked slowly down the corridor of Park Mansion when Chanyeol sighed softly.  
“It went fine, no?” he asked and Baekhyun nodded.  
“Let’s go prepare the luggage?” he asked back and Chanyeol took his hands almost running until the car.


End file.
